NW’s Regents approve Franken Hall renovations, hear clean audit results

Northwest Missouri State University’s Board of Regents during its regular meeting Thursday authorized the university to move forward with renovations on one of its high-rise residence halls in addition to hearing the clean results of the university’s annual financial audit.

Gina Bradley, a long time university event coordinator, was honored with a special presentation during the December 14 Northwest Board of Regents meeting. She was recognized for overseeing her 75th commencement ceremony on December 15 by declaring it as Gina Bradley Day.

Regents approved the renovation plans for Franken Hall, which will include new paint, hallway carpet, main floor lounge upgrades, beds, wardrobes, desks, dressers, windows and HVAC piping. The project also will add two private bathrooms on each floor and convert two rooms on each floor to lounge space.

The estimated cost for the project is $5 million, and the renovations are expected to be complete in time for fall 2018. The project will be competitively bid and will be funded from the university’s auxiliary services fund, which generates housing and dining revenues to support daily operations as well as fund residential and dining facility improvements.

Presenting the proposal to the Regents, Northwest Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Matt Baker said the university completed a comprehensive residential life master plan to inform decisions related to investing in its residential facilities.

The Franken Hall upgrade project is the first outlined in the master plan schedule. Completed in 1968, it is one of four high-rise residence halls on the Northwest campus. Each are seven floors and contain about 300 rooms in addition to kitchen and laundry facilities, lounges and recreation rooms. He noted 85 percent of the renovations are cosmetic in nature.

Baker said upgrades completed last summer to the lobbies and lounges in Dieterich and Millikan residence halls were well received, but there is more work to be done.

“We have very strong academics and our students want strong academics, but they also want other services and experiences,” Baker said. “We’re in competition with many other schools and no one thing can be the reason students come here. It’s got to be the entire academic package that they’re looking for, so this is a way to elevate all of that.”

Baker said three of the four other high rise dorms renovation timelines is on the five-year plan.

During a special presentation at the start of Thursday’s meeting, Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski recognized Gina Bradley, the university’s event coordinator, who will oversee her 75th commencement ceremony on December 15. Bradley has served in the capacity since 1999 and Jasinski presented her with a proclamation declaring Friday as “Gina Bradley Day” in honor of her milestone.

In other business, Regents heard the results of the university’s annual financial audit, completed by RubinBrown, LLP. The firm’s review of Northwest’s financial statements for the 2017 fiscal year resulted in an unmodified opinion with no deficiencies or material and the most positive results. The university is required to complete an annual audit of its financial statements by an external audit firm. RubinBrown visited the campus this fall to complete the audit as well as a review of compliance and internal control over the financial reporting of the university’s financial statements.

The Regents also approved revisions to chapter two of the university’s faculty handbook related to summer compensation for faculty. The change, Provost Dr. Jamie Hooyman explained, eliminates a contradiction that prescribed a pay scale and resulted from budgetary changes approved by the Regents last spring. She said that after two faculty forums, the majority of the faculty senate did not approve of the change. Hooyman also brought adjunct faculty appointments for the spring trimester to the Regents for approval. The Regents said yes to both of the items.

Additionally, the Regents approved a three-year contract with Husch Blackwell to provide outside legal counsel services and training sessions to the university.

Within the consent agenda, the Regents approved 495 graduates with 184 graduate students to receive their diplomas at winter commencement December 14.

Reports were given by the student senate president, staff council chair, faculty senate chair and the president.

A closed session was called after the regular open meeting with the topics of litigation, real estate and personnel