The USU board of trustees, in its regular monthly meeting Friday, accepted "with regret" the resignation of trustee Ross E. Kendell, who resigned for personal reasons.
Kendell, president and chief executive officer of Key Bank of Utah, was a member of the board for about one year. His term was to expire in June 1997. "He has served incredibly well during that time," said USU President George Emert.The 10-member board also passed a resolution saying Kendell had brought to his USU position "good judgment, character and insightful competence."
The board also voted to honor the late Frederick P. Champ and his wife, Frances Winton Champ. Champ was a longtime supporter of USU, including service as president of the board of trustees and a leading force in the construction of many campus buildings.
The west wing of Old Main, scheduled for major renovation, will be named the Frederick P. Champ Hall. The roadway running from the Nelson Recreation Center around Old Main to Merrill Library will be named the Frederick P. Champ Way. And the room in Old Main housing the Champ Carillon Bell and keyboard will be named the Frances Winton Champ Carillon Bell Room.
Emert told trustees on Friday that, given the circumstances facing higher education in the recently concluded Utah Legislature, USU made "extraordinary progress" in seeing its financial needs met for the 1995-96 school year. The university is slated to receive some $94 million in state tax funds during the year - some 6 percent more than the $88.2 million it received for the current year.
Among other monies, USU received $1.8 million to fund 100 percent of the state share of educating the estimated 444 additional students expected to enroll next fall.
At the same time, noted Emert, legislators refused to vote design money for a new chemistry building to replace aging Widtsoe Hall, which has become too antiquated to be used for some state-of-the-art chemistry experiments.