MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM HELD IN COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS December 6-7, 2007 (Approved January 24-25, 2008) TABLE OF CONTENTS MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS December 6-7, 2007 CONVENE – THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2007 ....................................................................................................... 1 MINUTE ORDER 261-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 29) GRANTING OF THE DESIGNATION OF THE REGENTS PROFESSOR AWARDS AND THE REGENTS FELLOW SERVICE AWARDS FOR THE 2006-07 FISCAL YEAR, THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM ................................. 1 RECESS TO EXECUTIVE SESSION .......................................................................................................................... 2 RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION – FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2007 ..................................................................... 2 INVOCATION ................................................................................................................................................................ 3 CHAIRMAN’S REMARKS ........................................................................................................................................... 3 CHANCELLOR’S REMARKS ..................................................................................................................................... 4 RECESS ........................................................................................................................................................................... 5 RECONVENE ................................................................................................................................................................. 5 THE BALANCE WHEEL: A REPORT ON TUITION, APPROPRIATIONS AND THE AFFORDABILITY OF TEXAS PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION ............................................................................................................ 5 RECESS ........................................................................................................................................................................... 9 RECONVENE ................................................................................................................................................................. 9 REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE ON AUDIT ...................................................................................................10 REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE ON BUILDINGS AND PHYSICAL PLANT ............................................10 MINUTE ORDER 262-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 7) APPROVAL OF THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM CAPITAL PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008-FISCAL YEAR 2012, THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM .............................................................................................10 MINUTE ORDER 263-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 8) APPROVAL OF THE REVISED PROJECT BUDGET AND APPROPRIATION FOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES FOR THE ROSS STREET UTILITY IMPROVEMENTS AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM ......................................................................................................11 MINUTE ORDER 264-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 9) APPROVAL OF THE REVISED PROJECT BUDGET AND APPROPRIATION FOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES FOR THE WELLBORN ROAD PEDESTRIAN PASSAGEWAY AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM .............................................................................................12 MINUTE ORDER 265-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 10) NAMING OF THE “DAVE AND ASHLEY COOLIDGE FOOTBALL PRACTICE FIELDS,” TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY .......................................................................................................................12 MINUTE ORDER 266-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 10) NAMING OF THE “RANIA AND JAMAL DANIEL PRESIDENTIAL DINING ROOM,” TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY .......................................................................................................................12 MINUTE ORDER 267-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 10) NAMING OF “THE HAGLER FOUNDATION AUDITORIUM,” TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY ...............................13 MINUTE ORDER 268-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 10) NAMING OF THE “JACK AND LOU FINNEY CONCERT HALL,” TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-COMMERCE .........13 Table of Contents – December 6-7, 2007 Page ii of v MINUTE ORDER 269-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 10) NAMING OF THE “GEORGE AND BARBARA BUSH STATE HEADQUARTERS BUILDING,” THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER .......................................13 MINUTE ORDER 270-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 11) AUTHORIZATION TO AMEND THE GROUND LEASE WITH THE ASSOCIATION OF FORMER STUDENTS, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY .......................................................................................................................14 MINUTE ORDER 271-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 12) AUTHORIZATION TO PURCHASE LAND AND IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVESTON COUNTY, TEXAS, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY ..........14 MINUTE ORDER 272-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 13) AUTHORIZATION TO GRANT A CONDITIONAL ROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY EASEMENT TO THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION IN BRAZOS COUNTY, TEXAS, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY ............................................15 MINUTE ORDER 273-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 14) AUTHORIZATION TO GRANT A CONDITIONAL ROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY EASEMENT AND TWO TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION PERMITS FOR CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THREE ROADS IN COLLEGE STATION, BRAZOS COUNTY, TEXAS, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY ........15 MINUTE ORDER 274-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 15) AUTHORIZATION TO SELL AN ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION LINE, GRANT AN EASEMENT, AND ASSIGN AN EASEMENT AND PERMIT TO BRYAN TEXAS UTILITIES, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY ............16 MINUTE ORDER 275-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 16) ACCEPTANCE OF A RESTRICTED GIFT OF LAND FROM THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-CORPUS CHRISTI .............................................................................................................17 MINUTE ORDER 276-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 17) AUTHORIZATION TO NEGOTIATE A LEASE FOR WET LABORATORY AND OFFICE SPACE WITHIN THE BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION AREA, THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER .......18 MINUTE ORDER 277-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 18) AUTHORIZATION TO SELL LAND AND GRANT AN EASEMENT ACROSS LAND IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TEXAS, STILES FARM FOUNDATION, TEXAS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION .............................................18 MINUTE ORDER 278-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 19) AUTHORIZATION TO GRANT A CONDITIONAL ROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY EASEMENT TO THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 59, ANGELINA COUNTY, TEXAS, TEXAS FOREST SERVICE .........................................................................................................................19 MINUTE ORDER 279-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 20) AUTHORIZATION TO ACCEPT A GIFT OF 2.0 ACRES, MORE OR LESS, IN SAN AUGUSTINE COUNTY, TEXAS, TEXAS FOREST SERVICE .........................................................................................................................19 MINUTE ORDER 280-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 21) AUTHORIZATION TO SELL 0.813 ACRES, MORE OR LESS, IN RUSK COUNTY, TEXAS, TEXAS FOREST SERVICE ............19 REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE ON ACADEMIC AND STUDENT AFFAIRS...........................................20 MINUTE ORDER 281-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 22) APPROVAL OF REVISED GUIDELINES FOR AWARDING TEXAS PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL GRANTS, THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM .............................................................................................20 MINUTE ORDER 282-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 23) APPROVAL TO ESTABLISH THE STATE OF TEXAS EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTER WITHIN THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY .............................................................21 MINUTE ORDER 283-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 24) AUTHORIZATION TO OFFER SELECTED DEGREE PROGRAMS BY DISTANCE EDUCATION, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-COMMERCE ..............................................................................................21 MINUTE ORDER 284-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 25) APPROVAL TO ESTABLISH A DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY SCIENCE IN THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-CORPUS CHRISTI, AND AUTHORIZATION TO SUBMIT THIS ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGE REQUEST TO THE TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-CORPUS CHRISTI ...................................22 Table of Contents – December 6-7, 2007 Page iii of v MINUTE ORDER 285-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 26) AUTHORIZATION TO OFFER THE MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING DEGREE VIA DISTANCE EDUCATION (THE INTERNET), TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-KINGSVILLE .................................22 MINUTE ORDER 286-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 27) APPROVAL OF REVISED 42 TO 44-SEMESTER CREDIT HOUR CORE CURRICULUM IN ACCORDANCE WITH CRITERIA APPROVED BY THE TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-KINGSVILLE .............................................................................................23 MINUTE ORDER 287-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 28) ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NUCLEAR POWER INSTITUTE, A JOINT TEXAS ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION AND TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE ADMINISTERED WITHIN TEXAS ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION, TEXAS ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION AND TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY .......................................................................................................................23 REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE ..............................................................................................23 MINUTE ORDER 288-2007 (AGENDA ITEM 1) ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM REVENUE FINANCING SYSTEM BONDS, SERIES 2008, THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY