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At its June 6 meeting, the Â鶹´«Ã½ Board of Trustees took action on the following items:

Trustees Endorse FY 2013 University Budget That Supports Major Campus Improvements

The Board approved a balanced educational and operating budget for Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s eight-campus system as it commended the university’s leadership for demonstrating sound and strategic management through difficult financial times.

The budget reflects the fourth year that the Responsibility Center Management budget model, which encourages strategic and creative use of funds, has been used by academic units; additional funding for student scholarships, international programs, new faculty and advisor positions, library collections and public safety; costs associated with new contract agreements with employees represented by bargaining units; anticipated increases in health-insurance costs for employees; financial activities associated with the new Â鶹´«Ã½ College of Podiatric Medicine; a 3.5-percent tuition increase that helps to offset a state appropriation that decreased 8.6 percent ($12.1 million) from the amount received in fiscal year 2011; and the launch of several large-scale projects, including new and renovated buildings, to bring aging university facilities up to world-class standards.

The budget, which totals $616.4 million ($616,498,803), spans fiscal year 2012-13 (July 1, 2012–June 30, 2013).

Kent State Creates Cuban Studies Institute

Kent State has seized the opportunity to become a regional leader in developing scholarly relationships in Cuba by creating the Cuban Studies Institute. The institute, which will be effective Fall Semester 2012, will work to build sustainable, collaborative educational and research relationships in Cuba; and will support interdisciplinary collaboration across Kent State colleges and throughout Northeast Ohio, the United States and Cuba.

The institute’s goals include expanding student and faculty experiences abroad; encouraging collaboration and research in areas such as the arts, education, public health, family studies, literature and the sciences; and promoting outreach through seminars, lectures and special events. The Board gave authorization for the institute through the Fall Semester 2014.

The institute will partner with the university’s Office of Global Education to apply for licensure with the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, a requirement for research and/or study abroad in Cuba.

The creation of the institute was approved previously by the university’s Educational Policy Council and Faculty Senate.

New Science and Nursing Building Approved for Kent State Stark

In response to the continuing expansion of the nursing and science programs at Â鶹´«Ã½ at Stark, the Board authorized a $17 million ($17,015,722) project to build a new, 41,140-square-foot Science and Nursing Building adjacent to the Main Hall. Funding will be provided from campus funds, the state’s capital appropriation to the university and from private donations.

The state-of-the-art building will include classrooms, lecture halls, laboratories and faculty offices associated with the biology, physics, geology and nursing programs. The project also will include renovation of approximately 5,250 square feet of the existing Main Hall East Wing, and limited site improvements and parking enhancements.

Construction of the new building is expected to begin in fall 2013 and be completed by summer 2015.

 to see the complete version of these and additional board actions taken by the Â鶹´«Ã½ Board of Trustees on June 6.