Trustees will discuss Briscoe Quad renovation plan

Hundreds upon hundreds of undergraduate students reside in the Briscoe Quad dormitory from year to year. Little do these students know, the roof that is currently covering their heads is long overdue for repairs.\nThe IU board of trustees will meet Nov. 4-5, at the IU-Purdue University campus in Fort Wayne. According to their agenda, the board of trustees will discuss a variety of issues and topics that concern all IU campuses, including IU-Bloomington's Briscoe Quad dormitory.\nThe committees to meet at the board of trustees meeting include the facilities committee, committee of the whole, finance and audit committee, academic affairs and university policies committee, and the long-range planning and external relations committee. \nA major issue the board will discuss for approval at the meeting is the concern for a roof replacement on the Briscoe Quad dormitory. According to the board of trustees agenda, the plan entails the roof to be removed entirely. \nThe agenda said a ballasted membrane roofing systems will be installed on the A and B Briscoe buildings, and on the center of the C building. Additionally the sundecks on top of the buildings are no longer necessary. The existing fencing around the roofs will also be removed. \nThe project is estimated to cost $580,000 and will be funded by the Department of Residential Programs and Services.\nBoard of trustees president Frederick Eichhorn Jr. said in the past six years there has been no repair or rehab money from the state. \n"We have had to scrape and scuff up money for the repairs and replacement for the building," Eichhorn said.\nBut Eichhorn said the Briscoe Quad roof issue cannot continue. He said there is concern because there is an extensive need for the replacement and build-up plan.\nThe committee will also address the ongoing issue of insurance expenses for faculty and employees on all IU campuses. Because insurance is so expensive, a proposal will be approved or rejected for IU to take full control of insurance policies. \nEichhorn said a big-ticket item to be discussed at the meeting is the approval for real estate for the Clarian Cancer Hospital on the IUPUI campus. He said this addition to the campus would have a largely positive impact to IUPUI. \nEichhorn said the hospital built on IUPUI's campus will not only be costly, but it will draw a lot of people and attention to the campus. \n"It will be a positive effort of the Clarian Hospital and IU, because it will bring a major cancer treatment facility to the campus," Eichhorn said.\nTrustee Sue A. Talbot said the academic affairs and university policies committee is looking at a way to integrate the library systems throughout all the IU campuses. By doing so, students and faculty would have the opportunity to access all library materials and information throughout the state.\nTalbot said the issues discussed this week at the meetings are vitally important to all the IU campuses.\n"Students often do not realize how much impact we have on them," Talbot said. "These meetings are always of utmost importance, because we certainly impact the students."\n-- Contact staff writer Kristin Huett at khuett@indiana.edu.