ECU trustees recognize staff work
In a meeting Dec. 10, the ECU Board of Trustees issued two awards to staff members, created a new Board of Visitors, added names to the streets at the medical complex and voiced opposition to including campus buildings in a proposed historical district.
The recipients of the two awards were Tom Powell (Admissions) and Mike Coston (Student Stores). Powell was recognized for his efforts to improve the quality of student admissions and for helping raise the SAT score averages among entering freshmen. Coston’s award noted his successful marketing campaigns and the improvements to facilities at the student store.
The Trustees also approved a proposal for a new Board of Visitors. This board will include one or more city officials, a member of the Trustees and additional appointments by Chancellor Eakin. Trustees chairman Craig Souza proposed establishing the board in order to get more outside people involved with the campus.
Prior to endorsing a street names proposal for the medical center, the board heard a report from Gary Vanderpool (Medicine) on the importance of making it easier for visitors to find their way around the medical complex. Vanderpool said the 14 proposed street names were “comprehensive, logical and simple.” Some of the new names include “Campus Loop,” “East Gate,” “South Gate,” and “North and South Emergency Drive.”
The board also went on record against including university property in the proposed historic district for Greenville. Four university-owned buildings on fifth street—the Chancellor’s Home, Taylor-Slaughter, Howard House and the house formerly used by Human Resources— have been suggested for inclusion in the district. Trustees and administrators expressed concern that ECU could lose its authority over the buildings that are included in the proposed district.
Howard Rooks of Arlington, Va., said he was “very much against using our property in that kind of historical district.” The trustees also noted that the university has formed its own Campus Historical Preservation Committee to oversee any architectural or basic building plan changes on campus. The committee is headed by Dr. Mary Jo Bratton (History), the campus historian.
The Trustees also approved revisions to appendices C, D and L of the faculty governance doctrine. Patricia Anderson (Faculty Senate) said the new wording in the revisions puts stronger emphasis on the importance teaching.
In other actions the board approved the use of $230,000 in self-liquidating funds to renovate basement space in Jones Hall for housing offices and approved $103,000 to replace the roof on White Residence Hall. The dorm’s roof was damaged in a wind storm last March. State insurance will cover all but $500 of the new roof’s costs.
Some other other reports and comments made during the meeting include:
• A proposal to allow students to replace three letter grades (Ds and
Fs) will be presented at the March 18 meeting.
• Marlene Springer said 2,147 students completed their degrees this fall and last summer. She said 1,591 are undergraduates and 556 are graduate students and she noted that women outnumber men in both categories.
• Chancellor Eakin recognized board member Valeria Lovelace for her appearance on the Phil Donahue Show. Lovelace appeared with cast members from the PBS show “Sesame Street.”
• ECU will purchase the former Rose High School property next spring, but the city will continue to use the building as a public school until a new middle school is built.