"For the past few years the university has partnered with the city of Mount Pleasant to put on a series of bike races," said Barrie Wilkes, vice president of finance and administrative services. "It's been a great event for the city and the community. It's drawn a lot of people and generated a lot of excitement."

The annual event will kick off with a time trial race with the start and finish line south of the Kelly/Shorts Stadium near the Indoor Athletic Center, located on Tower Road. The course is 3.87 miles long and will allow cyclists to prepare for a weekend of races in Mount Pleasant.

The event continues throughout the weekend with a criterium race in downtown Mount Pleasant and a road race the next day near Mid-Michigan Community College. For more information on Le Tour and to register for the event, visit their website at tourdemontpleasant.com.

Office of Research and Sponsored Programs delivers third quarter report

Provost Michael Gealt reported $3.4 million in sponsored research funding for the third quarter to the Board of Trustees' Office of Research and Sponsored Programs quarterly report. Gealt reported $11.7 million total in sponsored research for the fiscal year.

"I think we've been pretty consistent," said Central Michigan University President George Ross. "I'd like to see those grow. It's critically important that we push that envelope. It strengthens the scholarship on this campus, which is another recruiting tool when we talk to students."

The College of Science and Technology received the most funding with $5.56 million in new awards, including $2 million from the Environmental Protection Agency to support the Great Lakes Research Institute.

The College of Education and Human Services received $2.2 million in sponsored research funding. The College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences got $877,000, Health Professions received $768,000, CMED with $304,000, and Business Administration banked $95,000 in new funding.

Gealt said other programs, including Global Campus, public service radio and television, and Native American Studies brought in $1.9 million.

Board of Trustees Vice Chair Sarah Opperman said she thought it was good to see the diversity of funding across all of the colleges.

In response to Opperman, Ross echoed his previous statements about recruitment.

"Students who walk in here in the fall as first freshman (are) going to be in laboratories involved in research," he said. "You don't do that at any place else, not only in Michigan, but across the country."

After the completion of the Biosciences building, he said, there would be much more research opportunities on campus.

CMED to enter into new three-year lease

Trustees approved a motion allowing CMU to enter into a new lease for clinical space at Thursday's meeting.

The motion will allow Karen Rathmann, assistant professor of pediatrics for CMED and member of Medical Arts Pediatric, to continue her lease of a clinical office.

According to Ray Christie, vice provost, CMU had a nine-month lease previously for the office space. With the trustee approval, CMED can now work out an agreement to move into a three-year lease. The space is located in the McClaren Central Michigan building. Rathmann currently shares the space with two other physicians.

Gealt said the university is requesting to pay one-third of the $52,000 lease payment.

Facilities Management receives pre-funding for two projects

A total of $980,000 for various roof projects and $120,000 for masonry projects around campus were approved for pre-funding. The cost of the projects combined is not to exceed a total of $1.1 million.

The projects are currently backlogged in CMU's deferred maintenance budget.

Barrie Wilkes, vice president of finance and administrative services, said this was a very important move for the university and facilities management.

“The (2014-15) deferred maintenance budget will begin July 1," Wilkes said. "Often times facilities management needs to get going on projects before that, generally as soon as the students move out. It’s a matter of needing to get started early to get the projects done.”

Wilkes said university reserves will be used to cover the costs until July 1. The costs will be replaced with the new deferred maintenance fundind when they become available.

Trustees updated about on-going demolition, construction projects

The CMED Saginaw facility is ahead of schedule, said Steve Lawrence, vice president of facilities management. Most significantly, construction crews completed installation of the buildings structural steel before Lawrence's May 7 estimated completion date.

Demolition of the Washington Apartments will begin in June and construction of the Biosciences building will begin shortly after that.

Officials have scheduled the building's completion for December 2016.

To adjust to the heavy flow of traffic, Lawrence said an access road will be added off of East Campus Drive.

East Campus Drive will also be realigned for the hotel being added to the south side of Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The hotel construction will be done August 2015. Construction of the hotel will begin during the first week of June.

The project is scheduled to be completed by August 2015 in preparation for the inaugural season for the women’s lacrosse team beginning in March 2016.

President George Ross said he is excited to see these additions to the university. He said the projects will have a positive impact on the future of CMU.

“It’s moving us forward as an institution, and it is exciting,” said Ross. “It’s very thrilling to see these things and make progress moving forward and advancing excellence.”