Purdue News

Trustees OK budget request, new construction

The board also voted to move forward with two major construction projects and ratified the appointments of two long-time staff members to emeritus status.

Technology in the classroom -- acquiring it, improving it, providing greater access to it -- is the theme of the operating request Purdue will make to the 1997 Indiana General Assembly. In addition to focusing on computers and information technology, the request asks for adjustments for salary and benefits, operation of new buildings and other unavoidable increases.

"Purdue professors are discovering wonderful teaching possibilities by combining digital technology with various audio and visual materials and information sources," said President Steven C. Beering. "These advances are transforming the education experience and allowing students to learn better and faster. At the same time the people who hire our graduates expect them to be computer literate. Purdue has an obligation to equip its students with the technological skills needed to be successful in their careers."

In addition to stressing to state officials that the state should take on more of the expense of educating students than it has in recent years, Purdue will push for a number of needs related to computing:

• Undergraduate computing and teaching laboratories -- hundreds of new workstations and replacement of existing obsolete stations.

• Classroom technology such as video systems and multimedia equipment.

• Faculty and curriculum development across all schools and campuses to incorporate advanced learning technologies into instruction.

• Increasing access to computer networks and on-line library and research resources.

  The operating request is based on several assumptions:

• That the state will fund increases required to operate new buildings that come on-line during the next biennium.

• An increase of 4 percent each year to maintain current programs and provide faculty and staff raises.

• That student fees increases would be limited to 4 percent in 1997-98 and 4 percent in 1998-99 if the budget request is funded.

  Hearings held by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education on operating and capital requests have begun. The proposals next will be considered by the State Budget Agency and finally by the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee before becoming part of the biennial state budget that is put to a final vote in April.

  In other action, Purdue trustees:

• Approved the planning, financing and construction of the basement of Schleman Hall, which opened in 1988 as an addition to the renovated former Geosciences Building. Schleman houses such offices as admissions and the dean of students. When completed in 1998, the basement will contain several offices to be used by student services and Management Information, which need additional space. Scholer Corp., Lafayette, will provide architectural services for the $1.5 million project.

• Approved hiring Circle Design Group Inc., Indianapolis, as the architect/engineer for the first phase of the renovation of the Robert E. Heine Pharmacy Building. The mechanical systems will be upgraded, and other areas affected by these systems will be renovated. The first phase will include renovations to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, and to laboratories on the third floor. The first phase is slated to begin next summer.

  The board ratified naming:

  Ronald L. Fruitt as vice president emeritus for housing and food services. Fruitt will retire Monday, Sept. 30, after beginning his career in the housing and food services area nearly 40 years ago while a student. He joined Purdue residence halls in 1961, held various assistant manager and manager positions, and was promoted to director in 1981. He was named vice president for housing and food services in 1983, a position he held until June this year. Since then Fruitt has been vice president for special projects to Executive Vice President and Treasurer Frederick R. Ford. Fruitt was responsible for operation of the residence halls, Purdue Memorial Union, Black Cultural Center, Married Student Housing and Elliott Hall of Music.

• Betty M. Suddarth as registrar emerita. Suddarth began her professional career at Purdue in 1951 and has been a research consultant for various organizations and an academic counselor. In 1971 she became the university's student services research coordinator and in 1980 was appointed its eighth registrar. She retired from that position in 1994 and since then has been manager of Student Services Departmental Computing. During her career she developed programs used to project student enrollment at Purdue and other schools in Indiana and for predicting the probability of success for entering students based on their class rank, grade-point average and standardized test scores.

Sources: Steven C. Beering, (765) 494-9708; home, (765) 743-9933

Frederick R. Ford, executive vice president and treasurer, (765) 494-9705; home, (317) 463-2037

John M.Huie, vice president for state relations, (765) 494-6829; home, (765) 743-9007;

e-mail, jmhuie@vpsr.purdue.edu

Robert L. Ringel, executive vice president for academic affairs, (765) 494-9709; home, (765) 463-1496

Thomas Schmenk, director of facilities planning and construction, (765) 494-8003;

e-mail, trschmenk@pffpc.purdue.edu

Writers: Ellen Rantz, (765) 494-2073; home, (765) 497-0345; e-mail, ellen_rantz@purdue.edu

Amanda Siegfried, (765) 494-4709; e-mail, amanda_siegfried@purdue.edu

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