The UCA Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution Monday to spend $1.5 million on an off-site bunker for a data recovery plan.
The money will buy the cable, equipment, and renovations necessary to create a bunker for data storage in a safe location. The plan was created because of the fire in UCA’s data center last semester, when President Tom Courtway said UCA came dangerously close to losing much of its data.
“I don’t know of another company that operates continuously with that kind of risk,” Courtway said.
Several possible solutions were considered, including cloud storage, but UCA Chief Information Officer Jonathan Glenn said cloud storage would cost more in the long run. Glenn said the cost of cloud storage would be about $500,000 each year, which would overtake the cost of an off-site facility in about three years.
Equipment costs for the facility would be around $300,000 each year.
“We usually think about five year cycles for storage,” Glenn said.
Courtway said there was a possibility of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock allowing UCA to house the equipment, but Glenn said that solution was a short term one.
The Board of Trustees also unanimously approved a resolution to allow representatives of the faculty senate, staff senate and student government to ask questions of administration during board meetings. Courtway said as long as questions are related to board business, the three groups will be allowed to ask questions of administration, but not the board of trustees.
In other business, the board of trustees voted unanimously to put limitations on the Board of Trustees Fund. The fund will be capped off at $200,000 and will only be replenished by auxiliary funds, which include campus dining, book store, and housing revenues. The board also donated $25,000 from this fund to the Baum Gallery in honor of former board member Harold Chakales, who died Dec. 13.
“I look at this fund as a very good contingency fund,” Courtway said.
The board of trustees also voted unanimously to clear up a problem with Courtway’s salary. The board reaffirmed that Courtway’s salary was previously adjusted $9,000 to compensate him for a vehicle stipend that he was not allowed to have. A mistake in UCA’s documents said he still received the $9,000 for a vehicle stipend, though it is part of his normal salary.
“I just want to reaffirm the fact that I’m treated the same as anyone else in this room,” Courtway said.
The board meeting also introduced two new board members. Brad Lacy, CEO of the Conway chamber of commerce, replaced Randy Sims and Elizabeth Farris, daughter of former UCA President Jeff Farris, replaced Harold Chakales.
UCA was also approved for seven more years of accreditation based on compliance with a strategic plan. The strategic plan includes the monthly “Campus Talks.”
The UCA Board of Trustees appointed Tom Courtway as UCA’s newest president in its meeting on Dec. 16, 2011.
Courtway has served as interim president for UCA this past year since Allen Meadors’ contract was bought out in September of 2011.
Courtway will be president of the university for up to three years, and does not wish to have a car allowance. Courtway does plan to move in to the President’s house at a later date.
“I’m very honored and humbled. Let’s get to work,” Courtway said after being appointed.
Trustee Bobby Reynolds was named the new chairman of the Board of Trustees.
Modifications to the disc golf course, proposed by the Student Government Association, were made during the meeting.