October 29, 2019
SVSU Board approves renovations to student housing, lease for downtown Saginaw location
The Saginaw Valley State University Board of Control approved spending up to $4.6 million to renovate a residence hall and some on-campus apartments during the Board’s regular meeting Monday, Oct. 28.
SVSU plans to renovate Living Center South and a portion of Pine Grove Apartments next summer, in advance of the 2020-21 academic year. For two consecutive years, SVSU has placed No. 1 in the nation among all U.S. public universities in the website Niche’s “Best College Dorms” ranking, which uses a weighted formula where 70 percent of a school’s score comes from student satisfaction surveys.
The university has sufficient funds in existing reserves for capital projects and the auxiliary system to finance the renovations.
The Board also agreed to proceed with leasing a building in downtown Saginaw to offer academic programs and community outreach. The Board approved spending up to $275,000 to renovate the building at 208 S. Washington for university use.
The Board also authorized the sale of SVSU’s Regional Education Center - Macomb, located in Macomb County’s Chesterfield Township. SVSU has offered distance education and graduate courses for the College of Education at the facility, but the emergence of online classes allows for more modern methods to deliver course content. Classes taught at the center this fall will not be affected, as the sale of the property is not expected to be finalized until January.
In other action, the Board:
- Approved changes to the Student Association charter, as requested by Student Association.
- Recommended a liquor license for the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum.
- Received and accepted the annual financial audit and federal awards audit for fiscal year 2018-19, as prepared by Andrews Hooper Pavlik PLC.
- Approved SVSU’s capital outlay request plan for the 2021 fiscal year.