By Kelsey Jochum, Content Editor
The University of Nebraska Board of Regents met Friday in Lincoln to discuss several issues on the agenda — three of which related directly to UNO.
The first proposal, which was sponsored by UNO Chancellor John Christensen and Ed Wimes, assistant vice president and director of human resources, was a request to approve amendments concerning the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Board of Regents and the American Association of University Professors for the 2011-13 school years. This was based on a similar action taken by the two parties two years ago in April 2009, in which the Board approved . The key economic element of the agreement includes a 1.1 percent salary increase in the first year of the contract and a 1.1 percent salary increase in the second year of the contract for the 2011-13 school years, according to the meeting results.
That means for an increase in UNO professors’ salaries, and an increase in the corresponding benefits of those salaries.
The second proposal related to UNO was to approve a license agreement which would grant pouring and vending rights on campus. Sponsored by William Conley, vice chancellor for business and finance, the proposal sought to create a new agreement for pouring and vending rights in light of the fact that the previous agreement, signed in 2001, was due to expire. The old agreement with Pepsi Bottling Group gave the company full rights as the only soft drink served at university events and on campus. As the agreement draws near the end of its ten-year period, UNO wants to consider writing a new agreement form that will model the one used by UNL and UNK.
The reasons for the proposed change are threefold: to maximize the amount of time for transition to a new agreement, to allow for input from the Board of Regents before a decision and agreement is finalized and to facilitate the Board of Regents approval without need for a special meeting over the summer, according to the meeting results. Once a report of the final agreement is completed, the Board of Regents will review it, and, if approved, it will continue on to the president, who will make the final decision based on the best interest of UNO.
The third and final proposal pertaining to UNO was the selection of an architectural company for the construction of the Community Engagement Center at UNO. This action, related to a measure approved in October 2010, in which the Board approved the program and preliminary budget for the Community Engagement Center.
At Friday’s meeting, the Board selected Holland Basham Architects to helm the project. Construction for the is set to begin October 2011 and is anticipated to end December 2012. The project’s cost will be paid for entirely by private donations. The proposal was sponsored by William Conley, vice chancellor for business and finance, and Rebecca Koller, assistant vice president for business and finance and director of facilities planning and management.
All three measures were approved. While all three proposals are important and will have significant effects on the university, students are not likely to be impacted by the changes, at least not in the short-term. The Board will reconvene April 29.
