Multiple building improvements and program changes were heard at the first day of the October Board of Regents meeting Wednesday.

Improvements to Larch Hall, renovations to Friley Residence Hall dining center and finishing the laboratories in the basement of Hach Hall are the four building projects.

Warren Madden, senior vice president of business and finance, presented the projects to the board.

Next academic year, Larch Residence Hall could see improvements similar to those done to Willow Hall last year. The perimeter wall modifications project would improve windows and repair walls in 272 student rooms to improve energy efficiency. The project is projected to cost $3.3 million.

“Over the last several years, we’ve been trying to upgrade and modernize all of those buildings [Maple, Willow, Larch]…and provide a better living environment for the students,” Madden said.

The Friley Residence Hall dining room renovation would convert inactive dining space in the residence hall and the connected kitchen area into a food court style to make the fourth major dining center located on campus.

The area used to be a food service area until the Union Drive Community Center was built in 2003. Bringing the dining center back is in response to the increased enrollment and stress on dining services, Madden said.

The project is estimated to cost about $6.2 million.

When Hach Hall, the newest chemistry building at Iowa State, was constructed in 2010, the basement was not finished because the space was unneeded at the time, Madden said. The department is hiring more faculty members and is in need of additional laboratory space.

The project would fit out about 10,500 square feet of basement space with a budget of about $4 million.

The Marston Hall renovation plan is to install additional classrooms and student service spaces. The project has a budget of about $27.1 million, an increase of about $3 million needed to finish the project, according to the board item.

“[Marston] is an iconic engineering building,” Madden said. “This is an important project. Engineering is our largest college now.”

The reason for the increased budget request, Madden said, is due to the construction market in Iowa. Marston is a four-story building, making it a bit of a challenge for some subcontractors.

“Construction costs are probably going to increase in central Iowa based on the work that is going on,” Madden said.

Iowa State is also requesting the board approve a termination of a masters program: Master of Arts and PhD programs in history and science at Iowa State University. Two graduate students are enrolled in the program now, but are scheduled to graduate in December, making the program termination timely, said Provost Jonathan Wickert.

“There has been significantly reduced faculty and student interest in this program,” Wickert said. “[We can] redirect our resources to stronger, more growing programs.”

Iowa State also requested approval of the updated university catalog, which includes 162 new courses and 111 removed courses.

The Thursday meeting includes a reading on proposed tuition and fee increases.

Combined tuition and fee rates for in-state undergraduates would increase from $7,731.40 to $7,851.90 if proposed rates are approved by the board in December.

Rates for nonresident undergraduates would increase from $20,617.40 to $20,855.90.

Base tuition for resident undergraduates has been $6,678 since fall 2012 because of two tuition freezes. The board is recommending next academic year’s resident undergraduate tuition increase to $6,794.

At Iowa State, the tuition for nonresident undergraduates is $19,534. The board is recommending the rate be increased to $19,768.

Mandatory fees are currently $1,083.40, with a proposal of an increase to $1,087.90.

The board is scheduled to talk about tuition and fees at about 11 a.m. Those not in Iowa City can listen to the board meeting live online here.