The Iowa Board of Regents has a full two-day schedule for their April meeting.

Iowa State will be looking to approve a new scoreboard purchase for the south end zone of Jack Trice Stadium, continued construction on Hach Hall and raising rates for 2014-15 housing and dining.

The property and facilities committee will discuss this April 23.

The board will also be receiving reports on student financial aid and faculty salary issues.

An update on the efficiency will also be given, said Sheila Koppin, communications director for the board.

Jack Trice Stadium

The board approved the Jack Trice Stadium addition and Green Space Project in February. Part of this is replacing the existing south end zone seating and upgrading the video scoreboard and sound system.

Iowa State is looking to approve a new video scoreboard purchase from Daktronics, Inc. The current estimate for the video board and sound system improvements is about $2.3 million, according to the board docket item.

The Green Space Project will develop the space between Reiman Gardens and the stadium as a green space. This would renovate the entry to the gardens and the south entry to Iowa State. Parking would also change, but there are no maps completed.

Warren Madden, senior vice president of business and finance, said the whole project will cost about $60 million. Roy and Bobbi Reiman provided an initial $25 million gift and the athletic department will provide the rest through fundraising and ticket sales, Madden said.

Hach Hall

Hach Hall, a chemistry building on campus, was finished in 2010. Madden said the basement level laboratories were not finished because there wasn’t enough faculty and staff to support that many laboratories.

The board must approve the revised $4.8 million budget in order to finish the project.

If approved, Madden said the expected completion would be either summer or fall of 2015.

Room and board rates

Residence and dining rates are up for viewing an increase of about 1.4 percent. Madden said this is done in two phases: receiving the rates at this meeting and then approving them at the next.

The 1.4 percent average is based on a double room and standard meal plan.

This is the smallest increase of the three regent universities. University of Iowa expects a 3.46 percent increase and University of Northern Iowa projects 2.89 percent increase, according to the board docket item. 

Madden said he expects Iowa State’s increase is to offset the cost of higher food and labor prices.

“I think we’re efficient and well-managed,” Madden said of Iowa State’s increase being the smallest. “We house and feed more students than the other two universities.”

Financial aid report

The board will view an annual report describing the amount of financial aid awarded to the regent universities. Types of financial aid considered are in the form of grants, loans and on-campus employment, according to the docket item. 

The docket item lists that in 2012-13, the total amount of financial aid given to students at the public universities was $998,258,155. This is an increase of .5 percent from the previous year. 

According to the docket item, $480,548,056 financial aid came from federal, state, institutional and other loans.

Of the three regent universities, Iowa State has the largest average of students who graduate with debt. The average debt for graduating Iowa State students was $29,458 in 2012-13.

A goal of the statewide university efficiency review is to reduce student debt, regents have said.

Anyone can listen live to the regent meeting at the board’s website: regents.iowa.gov