The Student News Site of University of Central Missouri

Muleskinner

The Student News Site of University of Central Missouri

Muleskinner

The Student News Site of University of Central Missouri

Muleskinner

Pertle Springs road will change to one-way

(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) – The main road through Pertle Springs will soon become a one-way road.
The board of governors at the University of Central Missouri on Friday considered three options for improvements that involve Pertle Drive, the main roadway leading into the Pertle Springs recreational area on the south side of town. The board approved a recommendation to make Pertle Drive a one-way road, with visitors entering from the existing east entrance and exiting at the existing west entrance, according to a news release.
The university must seek bids for work, which includes road resurfacing of Pertle Drive, Par Drive, and the Traditions/Golf Course and Racehorse Lake parking lots, and the addition of a painted Bike Line on Pertle Drive.
The cost estimates presented to the board include $336,429 for road improvements; $384,884 for wetland improvements; and $123,734 in administrative costs that cover general conditions, permits, taxes, insurance, contingency and construction administration. The project will be funded by Student Recreation and Wellness Center Student Fee surplus, 75/25 matching grant funds from the Missouri Department of Conservation, and university reserves, according to the news release.
The project is the next phase of planned improvements at Pertle Springs. The option approved by the board was supported by the 10-member UCM Pertle Springs Enhancement Committee and the Missouri Department of  Conservation. Road improvements are part of a multiple phase project, with design services provided by the engineering firm, Burns and McDonnell.
The board also approved the replacement of a new air conditioning unit at Audrey J. Walton Stadium, and the purchase of furniture, fixtures, and other items for the new Missouri Innovation Campus in Lee’s Summit.
During the meeting, the board also considered three new academic opportunities, which included approval of a new certificate in professional selling program and a Bachelor of Science in business administration in events marking and management degree to be offered in the College of Business and Professional Studies. A new minor in Middle East Studies within the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences also was approved.
Following a presentation by Laurel Hogue, vice provost for Extended Studies, the board authorized the university to purchase furniture, fixtures, equipment, and technology items for The Missouri Innovation Campus at a cost not to exceed some $3.8 million. This represents the university’s share of space in this joint project with the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District. UCM and the school district entered into a long-term agreement for construction and operation of The MIC, which was made possible by a no-tax-increase bond proposal that was approved by Lee’s Summit voters in 2015.
Under this initiative, the school district is building the 137,000-square-foot facility, and UCM will lease space for students who are part of the MIC and others individuals who are seeking a higher education in the metropolitan area. Construction is underway, and the facility is scheduled to open by fall 2017.  UCM is paying about 60 percent of the total cost of the building through the lease agreement.
A $227,185 contract was awarded to Reasbeck Construction Inc., to replace the aging air conditioning system in Walton Stadium. The new unit is expected to be installed by spring 2017 and replaces a system that has been in operation since the stadium was constructed in 1996.
Chris Opatrny, chair of the Department of Management, spoke to the board about the need for a new BSBA in events marketing and management degree to be offered jointly by the department of management and the department of marketing and public relations. She noted that majors in these departments are increasingly finding employment opportunities in event planning and event services areas. This program requires only one new course, which can be staffed with existing faculty.
A new professional selling certificate was approved following a presentation by Roger Best, dean of the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies. This program will be housed in the department of marketing and public relations.
The new BSBA degree program and the certificate program in the Harmon College are contingent upon approval by the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education.
After a presentation by Gregory Streich, chair of the department of government, international studies, and languages, the board approved a new minor in Middle East Studies program to be housed in the department. UCM will become the only university in the Kansas City metropolitan area to offer this minor, according to the news release.
No additional funding will be needed to initiate the program. It will be strengthened through an Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Languages grant that was obtained from the U.S. Department of Education to develop Middle Eastern Studies at UCM. This grant is for three years at $140,000 per year, and will help create Middle East Studies resources that include development of Arabic language courses, in addition to supporting undergraduate research and study abroad opportunities, according the Streich. UCM plans to make this program available in spring 2017. Minor programs do not require CBHE approval.

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Pertle Springs road will change to one-way