Regents approve changes in degrees, demolition of building

The Board of Regents passed several policy changes and resolutions at their meeting Wednesday.

At the Faculty, Staff and Student Affairs Committee meeting, Regents approved of a change in the Diversity, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action policy to include the terms “gender identity” and “gender expression” in protection against discrimination.

Regents at the Educational Planning and Policy Committee meeting passed a report that will make changes to several academic programs and degrees.

There will be new degrees at the Graduate School, including a free-standing minor in Early Modern Studies, and the Medical School will have fellowships in Procedural Dermatology and Heart Failure in response to student demand.

In addition to new programs, there will also be changes to some degrees and the discontinuation of others, either due to insufficient demand or name changes.

Workers broke ground in April on an underground physics lab in Ash River, Minn. Regents at the Facilities Committee meeting approved the schematic plans for the $29.7 million phase II of the project – funded by the Department of Energy – which is estimated to be complete in November 2010.

They also passed a resolution to demolish the Music Education Building, a small, historic building located at the north end of the Knoll.

Built in 1888, it is one of the oldest buildings on campus, but it has been vacant since 1997 due to deficiencies and inaccessibility

Director of University Capital Planning and Project Management Orlyn Miller, who presented the resolution, said many reuse options were considered, but were found to be infeasible because of the excessive cost for renovation.

The building will be removed in November and the site will be restored by May 2010, leaving an open grassy area. The total project cost is $432,000.