Board to vote on student 'Bill of Rights'

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The MSU Board of Trustees is expected to vote on the progress of several campus construction projects and also might approve a student rights and responsibilities document at its meeting Friday.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at 9:30 a.m. in Room 401 of the Administration Building.

Student rights

The Academic Freedom Report, or AFR, is on the board’s agenda for approval. The AFR acts as a “bill of rights” for students at MSU and contains guidelines for issues such as student judicial processes in cases of academic dishonesty.

The AFR was created in the 1960s and has been revised twice in its history, once in 1977 and again in 1984.

Kristy Currier, chairperson of ASMSU’s Academic Assembly, said the organization is excited to see the report reach the board for its approval.

ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government.

Currier sat on a university subcommittee that revised the AFR to make the document more readable.

ASMSU was one of several campus governing bodies to approve the revised copy.

“We sincerely hope that the board agrees with all the proposed changes and decides to ratify the document,” Currier said in an e-mail.

MSU Provost Kim Wilcox presented the revised AFR to the university’s Academic Council on Jan. 26, where it was approved unanimously.

Case Hall renovations

The board also will vote whether to authorize planning for renovations to the Case Hall dining area.

The cost estimate for the project is $16 million.

The dining area is described as having the greatest renovation need in terms of its use by students and guests.

“It’s all part of a strategic plan to improve all of the dining facilities throughout the residence halls,” said Don Donagrandi, dining services manager for South Complex.

Coal plant

The board’s finance committee also will request a budget increase for an ongoing project to make operations more efficient at MSU’s Simon Power Plant.The committee will request an additional $3.5 million for the $15 million project.

University engineer Bob Nestle said the current coal unloading system is costly and inefficient.

Nestle said MSU must pay rail companies for holding coal cars for long periods of time. The budget increase will fund construction of a second conveyer belt to more quickly move coal into the plant. Nestle said the project’s cost is justified by the money MSU will save by no longer paying fees for holding coal cars.

“We’ll get them unloaded and get them back on the railroad quicker,” Nestle said.

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