SRU trustees approve energy savings agreement
(From left) Senator Mary Jo White, Slippery Rock University trustee; Eva Tsuquiashi-Daddesio, dean of the College of Liberal Arts; and SRU President Cheryl Norton.
June 10, 2016
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Slippery Rock University's council of trustees concluded two days of discussions and presentations today by authorizing the University to enter into a guaranteed energy savings agreement with Honeywell Industries.
The agreement will dramatically advance SRU's sustainability initiatives, including improvements to lighting; water conservation; heating, ventilation and air conditioning; energy management; and utility monitoring systems. The agreement features a 20-year payback and would see the University claim $15.8 million in net savings against hard costs of $9.9 million. (See related story)
The COT began their business meeting by presenting commendations to Eva Tsuquiashi-Daddesio, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Robert Marcus, SRU trustee for their years of dedicated service to the University.
Tsuquiashi-Daddesio, who will be retiring from the University in August, joined SRU in 1988 as a faculty member in the department of modern languages, serving as department chair from 2008-2009. She was appointed interim dean for the College of Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts in May 2009 and in July 2010, became dean. Tsuquiashi-Daddesio then led the college's reorganizational efforts, as it became the College of Liberal Arts. She served on the academic and student affairs executive council; the Middle States steering committee; the University strategic planning committee; and numerous other committees, advisory boards and campus initiatives.
Marcus, a 1961 SRU graduate with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education, served 34 years as a teacher and administrator in the Harrisburg School district, as well as more than 40 years as president of Marcus Bonding. He was first appointed to the SRU council of trustees in 1999 and was subsequently reappointed in 2005 and 2012, serving 17 years on the council. During that time Marcus served as chair (2004-05), vice chair (2001-04) and secretary (2012-13). In 2005, he was presented with the Distinguished Alumni Award for his success in making signification contributions in the field of education and business and in 2006, the COT dedicated Room 108 Old Main as the Dr. Robert Marcus Executive Conference Room in his honor.
SRU President Cheryl Norton presented the COT with her June 2016 report that included information about a variety of national rankings bestowed upon SRU academic programs; the University's selection as a 2016 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School Post Secondary Sustainability Awardee; SRU being awarded a 2016 "Healthiest Employers of Western Pennsylvania Award" from the Pittsburgh Business Times; and SRU being the lone representative from the State System to be ranked in the Buffalo (New York) Business First's 2016 academic rankings of U.S. public colleges. Norton also shared a sampling of student, faculty, staff and alumni accomplishments.
In other action, the trustees elected Matt Lautman as chairman, Jeff Smith as vice chairman and William McCarrier as secretary for the 2016-17 academic year; reviewed the Sightlines facility asset management report that provides data and planning to assist all universities in the State System with planning, prioritizing and managing facilities maintenance and upgrades; passed a resolution approving the University's relationship with the newly developed Slippery Rock University Foundation Student Housing LLC; and reviewed University financial statements, including the quarterly financial report; and then approved compliance contracts, fixed assets, services and supply purchase orders.
The council's next meeting will be September 22-23, 2016.
MEDIA CONTACT: Robb King | 724.738.2199 | robert.king@sru.edu