Trustees approve honorary namings, facilities upgrades

The BGSU Board of Trustees approved the naming of several University facilities to honor supporters at its annual pre-Homecoming meeting, on Sept. 30. In addition, the board also authorized upgrades to the Moore Musical Arts Center, Ice Arena and two campus electrical load centers.

“As we prepare to celebrate Homecoming and welcome alumni back to the University, we’re mindful of not only providing a great educational experience for our students but also the necessity of being good stewards of the physical and financial health of this learning environment,” said President Mary Ellen Mazey. “We’re grateful to those alumni and friends who join us in making this a wonderful place to grow and gain in knowledge.”

The audio recording studio in the newly renovated and named Michael & Sara Kuhlin Center, now home to the School of Media and Communication, will be known as the Robert J. and Mary L. A. Stanton Audio Recording Studio. The board approved the naming in recognition of the support of the Stantons. While an undergraduate majoring in psychology at BGSU, 1972 graduate Robert Stanton was a D.J. in the studios at WBGU with a particular interest in audio recordings. He went on to a distinguished career as an educator.

Room 201 in the Education Building will be named the Muriel Hutchinson Strebe Classroom in appreciation of the generosity of the 1951 graduate. BGSU will be the beneficiary of Strebe’s estate, and students have benefitted from the Muriel Hutchinson Strebe Scholarship and the book award she had earlier established in honor of the education she received.

Carlton Schooley, a 1963 alumnus and former member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, has supported the fraternity since 1965 in numerous ways, including serving on its alumni board and as a chapter adviser. Today he is director of transportation for Bowling Green City Schools. When the new home of the chapter was being planned in the Greek Village, many alumni of Sigma Phi Epsilon made gifts in his honor to recognize his years of support and dedication. The board approved the naming of the Carlton Schooley Living Room in the new chapter house.

In campus facilities matters, Moore Musical Arts Center will be closed from early May through July for replacement of its ductwork, insulation and sound silencers. In addition to improving and making more efficient the aging systems, the upgrade is an important step toward Moore becoming an “All-Steinway School,” which requires the ability to hold temperatures and humidity at a steady level. The trustees approved the $3 million upgrade, which will be paid for through state capital funds.

The University continues its move toward greater efficiency in utilities management and cost containment with the board’s approval of the next step in the phased, all-campus electrical modernization project. A number of Bowling Green campus buildings will be upgraded. The new East Campus load center will support Mileti Alumni Center, the Fine Arts Center, Conklin, the Harshman and Kresicher quadrangles, the Ice Arena, Doyt Perry Stadium and peripheral facilities. The Centrex electrical load center replacement will support Olscamp Hall, the Education Building, the Business Administration Building, East Hall and Memorial Hall. The majority of the $9 million-plus cost will come from state capital funds.

The Ice Arena will get a new floor system and ice plant, following the board’s approval of the $2.7 million project. The arena, built in 1967, last received a number of improvements in 2009-11, which did not include a new floor. Recently, heaving of the floor was detected, likely due to a coolant leak in the underlying pipes, which has created permafrost problems. At the same time, the type of coolant used in the ice plant is being phased out because of a change in government regulations and within a few years will no longer be available. Renewal and replacement funds will be used to pay for the project.

With the opening of the new Greek Village, an off-campus property is no longer needed by BGSU.  The trustees voted to sell a house at 129 S. Prospect St. that had been home to a Greek sorority. The appraised value is $180,000.

In other business, the board agreed to amend the bylaws to divide the Joint Development and Investment Committee of the BGSU Foundation and the Board of Trustees into two committees, one specifically for investment and the other for development functions. Each will comprise members from both the trustees and the foundation boards. The change is designed to better serve the current and future needs of the University.