Rao family moves into president's house
CMU's 12th university president is also its third top official to live in the president's residence at 1214 Forest Lane.
Montana State University Northern Chancellor Michael Rao was named university president designate May 30 by the Board of Trustees, concluding a six-month search after University President Leonard Plachta announced his resignation. Tuesday, Rao became the official university president and he, his wife Monica and their son Miguel began moving into the home Leonard and Louise Plachta occupied for eight years.
The Sowle-Mayflower Agency, 200 Walnut St., helped with the move Tuesday.
Jan Wagester, executive assistant to the president, said the Raos have taken a brief tour of the president's home but Michael Rao was too busy with his new duties to give his attention to his new home's needs. She also said the Plachtas have moved into their new home in the Mount Pleasant area.
CMU bought the president's house in 1988, according to the Mount Pleasant city assessor's office.
Wagester said former University President Edward B. Jakubauskas, CMU's president from 1988 to 1992, lived in the home before Plachta. The Plachtas lived there during Leonard Plachta's eight years at CMU, from 1992-2000.
"Until the university purchased the home, the president's residence was the Carlin Alumni House," Wagester said.
After the home on Forest Lane was purchased, the alumni house was remodeled and expanded.
The president's residence was built in 1980. According to the city assessor's office, Philip A. Langlois of Mount Pleasant applied for a building permit and was the original owner and contractor for the house. The house was built with a cost of $70,000. CMU bought it for $240,000 in April of 1988. The president's house became tax exempt when the university purchased it.
At its July 13 meeting, the Board of Trustees said up to $100,000 could be spent on refurbishing the president's residence for the Raos. Trustee Sid Smith said a professional decorator should be hired to update the home's furniture and appearance for entertainment purposes.
Trustee Harriet Rotter said funding for the refurbishing could come from alumni donations raised through the Alumni House.
The board resolved to set a concrete amount for decorating the president's home and consider how to direct fund raising.
"The Board of Trustees is very interested in maintaining its property," Wagester said. "Since it's owned it for 12 years, other than the usual maintenance, there have been no improvements. There have been a couple of different households living in it. So it's time now to refurbish."
The board has directed Chief Financial Officer Kim Ellertson "to engage a decorator who will work directly with Mike and Monica Rao," Wagester said.
She said she doesn't know what happens to any old furniture that may be replaced during the refurbishing.
Associate Director of Residence Life Joan Schmidt said for three weeks in July, the Raos stayed in a Kewadin apartment usually reserved for visiting Fulbright Scholars. Fulbright grants are given to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries for a variety of educational activities, primarily university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study and teaching in elementary and secondary schools.
Schmidt said she did not know the cost to the university for housing the Raos at Kewadin. Rental rates at Kewadin for faculty are $484 for a furnished a one-bedroom apartment and $520 for a furnished two-bedroom apartment.
"But it's not a typical apartment," Schmidt said. "Different departments have different contracts for Fulbright Scholars. It's a visiting apartment and is not normally heavily used during the summer. But it's reassigned for Fulbright Scholars."
The visiting scholars usually stay in the apartment for one academic year, she said.
According to Rao's contract, the university will provide utilities, including telephone, facsimile and computer connections in the president's residence. The university will also provide maintenance for the residence, housekeeping and yard care. Catering and special events of a business nature at the home will also be paid for by the university.
Wagester said "special events" include those involving alumni, donors, students, faculty and staff and the community.
Rao's contract says that the public or entertainment areas of the residence will be furnished by the university. After the Raos move in, they may spend up to $10,000 per year for new furnishings for the public or entertainment areas without board approval. All of these furnishings will be assets of the university.
Public areas include the large living and dining areas, study, kitchen, deck and lower-level meeting and entertainment rooms, and such other areas as may be agreed to by the board in the future. In addition, the university will furnish an office for Rao in the home. Rao is expected to furnish the private sections of the home.
The contract also stipulates that Rao will be furnished with a new, full-sized automobile, which he will be able to replace periodically. All maintenance, including gasoline, repairs and insurance, will be paid by the university for business and personal mileage.
Wagester said the board purchased a 2000 Buick Park Avenue, through the university's purchasing department, for Rao at a cost of $35,251.
"The car was also a board decision. Prior to buying the vehicle, I polled all of the 14 other public institutions in Michigan," Wagester said. "The poll said yes, they all do provide a vehicle and the choice is left up to the president, and that's what we did here. The vehicle was purchased through the purchasing department and we think they negotiated a very fair price"
