The Covenant College Board of Trustees will meet to discuss the various affairs of the school on Thursday, Oct. 2. Of the many items on the docket for this semester’s meeting, one topic of particular interest is the many renovations planned for the campus.
According to the official agenda, as provided by Executive Assistant to the President Joan Stanton, the meeting will begin Thursday morning and President Halvorson will give the Board an update on the college. Dan Wykoff, vice president for business and finance and Covenant’s CFO, will give a brief financial report. Other items scheduled for the weekend include a presentation on the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) by Mr. Tad Mindeman, chair of the QEP selection committee, as well as readings on proposed revisions to the Standing Policies and Procedure.
Over the course of the weekend, the Board will also break into smaller committee meetings, which will then present any items of note during the larger group sessions. According to Richard Bowser, chair of the Board of Trustees, these include committees on Academic Affairs, Admissions, Advancement, Campus Planning, Finance, Student Life, Trustee Development, and Spiritual Life.
The campus planning and finance committees stand to make the most visible impact on the college, as various renovations around campus will be discussed. In particular, these renovations include those related to Carter Hall and the art facilities.
According to Rev. Steve Smallman, a member of the Campus Planning Committee, the specific matters concerning Carter’s renovations to be discussed include the exterior of the building, the basement, the Great Hall and the Blink. The main discussion concerning the exterior of the building will revolve around “whether it is more cost effective and efficient to restore the current ‘envelope’ which is a shell covering the original exterior. This matter hasn't been decided yet. Both approaches are extensive and costly,” said Rev. Smallman. The committee will also be updated on ongoing designs and development drawings for the Great Hall and the Blink.
The Campus Planning committee will also be discussing the plans for the new art building. Last semester, it was determined to be more cost effective to simply raze the Art Barn and start over than to try to repair the old building. The building was subsequently closed for use at the end of last semester, and various designs for the new building are being considered. Rev. Smallman said that “new construction is currently targeted for January 2015 with completion hoped for August of 2015.”
Alongside these issues, the committee will be discussing a study on the possibility of the construction of a new pavilion in Scotland Yard. Deferred Maintenance – financing repairs and renovations based on long-term costs – will also be a topic of deliberation at the meeting, as well as smaller projects such as a new sprinkler system for Belz Hall.
The Board of Trustees meetings are scheduled to last all through Thursday and will conclude with plenary and executive sessions on Friday, Oct. 3.