Board to hold final meeting of fall semester

The MSU Board of Trustees will convene for the last time this semester at 9:30 a.m. today in the Administration Building. The meeting will be the last for Trustees Scott Romney and Dorothy Gonzales, whose terms expire Jan. 1.

Trustees-elect Diann Woodard and Dianne Byrum plan to be in attendance, observing the final meeting before their terms on the board begin in January.

- Justin Harris, The State News

New director

The board will vote to appoint James Pritchett as the director of the African Studies Center.

The African Studies Center is MSU’s research and teaching department dedicated to the African continent. Founded in 1960, it is one of the largest such programs in the world.

Pritchett was previously the director of Boston University’s African Studies Center and is an anthropologist specializing in research in northwest Zambia.

“We’re fortunate to bring in a world-class scholar of his caliber and experience,” said Jeffrey Riedinger, dean of International Studies & Programs.

Robert Hitchcock, the chairman of MSU’s Anthropology Department, said Pritchett was a popular choice.

“(Pritchett) really was great; people really thought a lot of him,” he said.

Investment changes

The board also will vote to approve three new investment managers for the university’s investment fund.

Bain Capital Inc., Bennett Management and Elliott Associates will provide the university with both short- and long-term diversification, Trustee Faylene Owen said.

“We want to take advantage of opportunities when the market is down so this is a very good time,” Owen said.

A revised investment policy statement also will be discussed. The revision to the current policy will allow the chairperson of the board’s Finance Committee to pursue possible investment opportunities faster than before, Owen said.

“It’s kind of ‘in-case-of’ so we’re able to react very quickly if we have to and pursue the opportunities,” she said. “Action in investment must be taken in a very short time.”

Dorm upgrades

Plans to replace elevators in Holmes and Wilson halls will be discussed as well.

Wilson and Holmes each use the five original elevators installed when the two complexes were built in 1962 and 1965, respectively. According to the proposed plan, both halls would undergo complete elevator replacement and the combined cost of the project will be around $2.8 million.

Eco-friendly power

The board also will vote on a project aimed at reducing carbon-dioxide emissions from the Simon Power Plant.

The $20 million project would include the construction of a bio-fuel production facility. The addition of bio-fuel sources would allow MSU to reduce its use of coal energy and thus reduce its carbon-dioxide emissions.

According to the plan, the bio-fuel facility would allow MSU to reduce its carbon-dioxide emissions by 3 percent.