Board members gave approval for the university to proceed one step closer to creating a public-private partnership to develop a mixed-use facility that will house the college of business, as well as retail space on land previously known as the Shobe property.
“We are very grateful to Brad and Alys Smith for their incredible gift to the university that is assisting with creation of this project,” said Marshall University President Dr. Jerome A. Gilbert. “As we build out this new facility, thousands of students, as well as our city and region, will benefit from it.”
Bids are expected to be opened in mid-January with possible construction starting as early as 2021.
In his report to the board, Gilbert announced an upcoming distinguished speakers event that will feature the chief executive officers of Nike, PayPal and Adobe. The event, tentatively set for Feb. 19 at the downtown Huntington Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center, is the brainchild of Brad Smith, who reached out to the top executives to help arrange their participation.
Gilbert also told the board he was excited to learn about the city of Huntington’s request for qualifications to develop the Northcott site across from the School of Pharmacy, which would possibly include a grocery store as well as new housing.
Board members approved a request from the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine to expand its animal resource facility at the Robert C. Byrd Biotechnology Science Center. Officials say the growth of Marshall’s research enterprise, including being named an R-2 institution, has necessitated additional laboratory space. Construction is expected to begin in February.
New degree programs approved include a Bachelor of Arts in General Business, a Doctor of Business Administration, a Master of Science in Cyber Forensics and Security, and a Master of Science in Data Science, which is a collaborative program between Marshall’s colleges of science and information technology and engineering. The board initially endorsed the degree program concepts earlier this year.
Provost and Senior Vice President Dr. Jaime R. Taylor said the new programs will help students with diverse backgrounds and will address a changing economy.
“I’m very excited about these new additions to our educational offerings,” Taylor said. “The bachelor’s degree in general business is a fully online degree completion program and will meet the needs of a variety of students, particularly nontraditional students in the state and region. Also, the Doctor of Business Administration will be the first such degree in the state and is tailored for students who want to advance their careers in business or academia.”
Taylor said the newly approved master’s degrees will help educate a workforce for a flourishing digital economy.
In additional action, members approved the following
- Quarterly investment earnings report;
- Update to the fee schedule for Ohio high school students pursuing STEM courses; and
- Updated operating policies.
The board’s next regularly scheduled meeting is February 20, 2020.