Regents approve autism center's design and budget

Members of the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents took the following action at a meeting Friday in St. Louis:

• Approved the conceptual design and budget for Southeast's Autism Center for Diagnosis & Treatment. The $2.6 million, 11,582-square-foot facility will be built on the old Washington School playground. Bids are expected to be awarded in January with construction complete by August.

The university, Judevine Center and Tailor Institute will jointly operate out of the center. The Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative is funding construction.

• Approved a workplace violence policy prohibiting violence, harassment and weapons.
• Approved the fiscal year 2010 operating budget request, which will be submitted to the Coordinating Board for Higher Education. The university is seeking $113 million for general operations. It has also requested $2.1 million to cover additional health insurance, utility and student enrollment costs; $7.9 million for miscellaneous maintenance and repair projects; $1.2 million for the Caring for Missourians initiative to train more nurses; and $250,000 for Funding for Results, a grant program for faculty.

In a fiscal year 2010 capital budget request, approved by regents in May, the university requested $37 million for an Applied Science Complex. The money would fund construction of an environmental science lab building and the renovation of existing but outdated science labs. The second capital request was for $29.3 million for renovating Academic Hall, followed by $25.5 million for reconfiguring Kent Library. University president Dr. Ken Dobbins acknowledged that with a tight economy, few capital requests from universities would probably be funded.

• Approved parking decal rates for motorcycles and motorized scooters. Decals will cost $50 for the fall, spring, and summer semesters; $25 for either the fall or spring semester; and $10 for the summer semester. Previously, students could park motorcycles for free.