The University of Oregon Board of Trustees took action on numerous items at its quarterly meeting Dec. 5-6 at the Ford Alumni Center, including advancing the university’s presidential search process and approval of a new degree.

Board members also received updates on the campus climate and culture survey; the preparation work underway for the tuition-setting process; and the innovation partnership being established between the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation and the UO Foundation.

The board took action on the following agenda items:

• Trustees authorized spending up to $300 million for construction of phase 2 of the Knight Campus. Construction on the second building, located along Riverfront Parkway, is scheduled to begin in 2023.
• Trustees received and unanimously approved the presidential profile that was developed after extensive community input this fall. The profile includes the position summary that will guide the committee in finding presidential candidates.
• Trustees also approved a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in environmental design that will be available beginning fall 2023. The College of Design program will offer the only undergraduate degree of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. Coursework will provide training in visual and spatial design skills that can be applied toward environmental sustainability.
• Board members authorized spending up to $10 million related to planning, design work and procurement of equipment and materials related to the new UO Portland campus in the city's Concordia neighborhood.
• Trustees approved naming the lawn on the west side of Tykeson Hall after Michael and Libby McCaslin, whose gift allowed for improvements that have transformed the space into a gathering place for students and the university community.
• The board voted to approve an update to the Student Conduct Code, modifying informal processes and requiring allegations of academic misconduct to be reported to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards for adjudication.
• Board members approved additional budget authorization for a previously approved capital project to design and construct a chilled water thermal storage tank that connects with the chilled water system and add cooling towers. The project’s original budget was for $8.5 million, but inflation has increased the total cost of the project to $11.8 million. The purpose of the project is to meet the increasing chilled water demands of campus, improve system efficiency and maintain resiliency.

Full materials and recordings of the meeting can be found on the UO Board of Trustees website.