Board of Regents Approves Health Pricing, Faculty Appointments

The Board of Regents (BOR) approved the appointment of Georgia Tech faculty members to named chairs and professorships, 2017 benefits plans, and a few business items related to upcoming campus projects, at its Aug. 10 meeting.   

The Board approved health care plans and premiums for 2017, stating that all plans will see an increase as the University System of Georgia (USG) moves to a defined contribution model. More information will be available soon about exact plan pricing, but increases for each plan will range from 0 to 8 percent. Open enrollment this year will take place from Oct. 31 through Nov. 11, and Georgia Tech Human Resources will continue to share information as it becomes available. For more details, visit ohr.gatech.edu and usg.edu. 

Two new named positions were approved as a result of Campaign Georgia Tech: the Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Dean’s Chair in the College of Sciences, and the John F. Brock, III School Chair in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. 

The BOR approved the appointments of Paul Goldbart and David Sholl to the two new positions, respectively. The Board also approved three new Regents Professors, a Regents Researcher, and the renewal of seven Regents Professors.

In Real Estate and Facilities, the Board authorized a new project to build a Cell Manufacturing Facility in the Marcus Nanotechnology Building. This project will involve the build-out of clean room space as part of Georgia Tech leading the National Cell Manufacturing Consortium. Georgia Tech was selected to lead this initiative by the federal government, with more than $15 million in support from the Marcus Foundation over five years.  

The Board also authorized renovations on the first floor of the Savant Building, home to offices for the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. The project will replace exterior doors and windows, update fire and safety equipment, and replace audio-visual, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, as well as furnishings. 

Also at the meeting, Chancellor Hank Huckaby announced his intention to retire at the end of the calendar year. Huckaby has served as chancellor since 2011 and oversaw the consolidation of several USG institutions. Since his arrival, the USG has grown to serve 318,164 students as of the fall 2015 semester, up from 298,510 in July 2011. Huckaby also prioritized the Complete College Georgia initiative, which helped the USG increase its graduation rate by 14 percent over the past five years.

For a full agenda from the August meeting and more information, visit usg.edu/regents/meetings. The Board’s next meeting will take place Wednesday, Sept. 14.