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ERIC WALKER/Ledger & Times
Calloway County Judge-Executive Larry Elkins swears in new Murray State Regent Kara Mantooth and re-appointed regent Marilyn Buchanon. Mantooth was elected Student Government Association President last semester. Buchanon was re-appointed by Gov. Steve Beshear. |
Regents vote 6-5 for land purchase
By ERIC WALKER
Editor
Murray State University's Board of Regents heard different marketing messages Friday regarding a new extended campus site and facility in Paducah.
If Murray State doesn't replace the current Crisp Center facility, would it lose out to a potential market of non-traditional and traditional students already being courted by other institutions? If it does build, what impression does a $1 million land purchase give faculty and staff who garnered no salary increases in the face of lean economic times?
After discussion of those and other issues, the regents moved 6-5 to purchase land in the Barkley Woods area along Interstate 24 in Paducah and pursue the next steps of building a new extended campus facility to replace the former bottling plant.
Regents Marilyn Buchanon, Beverly Ford, Peg Hays, Student Regent Kara Mantooth and Faculty Regent Dr. Jay Morgan voted in opposition to the action, while Bill Adams, Vickie Travis, Dr. Laxmaiah Manchikanti, Staff Regent Gina Winchester, Chairman Alan Stout and Judge Jeff Taylor voted in favor.
Morgan and Buchanon both voiced concern about using funds to purchase the 23 acres of land on an option which MSU President Dr. Randy Dunn purchased for $50,000 of administrative funds in July.
“My concern is the perception is we can spend (money) on property but not help our faculty and staff,” Buchanon said during the discussion part of the meeting of possible funding limitations from the state due to the national economic picture. “In my opinion, it's a financial mistake to exercise the option on this property.”
Vice President of Finance Tom Denton explained the university has $30 million from net income from prior years and portions can be used as the board desires. He said $600,000 would come from the $30 million and remaining $400,000 from the land acquisition budget.
Morgan said the use of money from a carry-forward account was an issue for him. “I'm against using any benefits money to purchase property,” he said after the meeting. “I was uneasy because we knew back in February things were going to be tight.”
He added that the timing was another factor in his vote. “I think we should service all of the region, from Hopkinsville to Henderson all the way to Hickman County,” he added. “But it's just not a good time to be doing this.”
However Adams, who made the initial motion to accept the recommendation by the task force assigned to study options for the extended Paducah campus, disagreed by saying the timing was right.
“The longer we put this off, someone else could move in,” he said afterwards. “They're going to be educated by somebody and we should be the ones who educate them.”
“If we wait for the perfect time, there won't be a perfect time,” added Stout, who also served as chair for the task force. “Twenty, 30, 40 years from now, we won't be here to see it, but Murray State will benefit from it.”
Dunn was pleased with the outcome and said the move toward getting final approval from the state would be quick.
“It was a challenging issue for them in terms of working with limited resources and at the same time trying to move the university forward,” he said. “It's critical for the future of this university. Now that the board has exercised the option, we'll have to start running for approval through Frankfort and then we'll get started on that right away.”
Before the full regents meeting yesterday afternoon, seven of the 10-member task force presented their recommendation to the board, based on the need for additional space and reaching the non-traditional student demographic in Paducah and surrounding areas in McCracken County and Illinois.
Brian Van Horn, a former MSU student regent who oversees the Crisp Center, said the peak times are Tuesdays and Thursdays after 4 p.m. with some classes overflowing into office space.
“I don't think that's the quality the board or Murray State wants,” he said.
One of the task force members, John Williams, CEO of CSI in Paducah, said McCracken County is already seeing signs of competition for potential college recruits beyond West Kentucky Community and Technical College's offerings through Mid-Continent University in Graves County, which is also examining opening a facility in Paducah, as well as Western Kentucky University and the University of Louisville that are seeking to reach the county's high school seniors.
“I believe Murray State has to take a proactive marketing stance,” he said. “What if Murray State didn't take advantage of this? Someone will fill the void.”
Taylor read from MSU's comprehensive plan booklet about “vision, courage and foresight” by citing university founders Dr. Rainey T. Wells and Dr. John Carr and noted WKU was in the process of building projects in Owensboro.
“The people in Bowling Green aren't saying ‘don't do it.' They're applauding them,” he said. “There's fewer students and more people fighting for them.”
Taylor also addressed tensions between the Murray and Paducah communities, especially surrounding the construction of a new campus facility there.
“It's time to put the sabers and swords away. The war's over,” he said.
Regent Hays noted needs for Hopkinsville's extended campus site, as well as those on Murray's main campus including the completion of the science complex, dorm construction plans and future library projects.
“Let's take care of what we've got,” said Hays.
“Dr. Wells and Dr. Carr would be rolling over in their graves,” Buchanon said.
Story created Sep 12, 2008 - 22:48:21 EDT.
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