Stanford Report, February 13, 2015

Trustees hear about the School of Humanities and Sciences, approve tuition and approve four construction projects

The projects include a new photon science laboratory building at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and a new conference center and office building for the Hoover Institution.

By Kathleen J. Sullivan

William Rawn Associates architect's rendering of proposed Hoover Institution building

Trustees gave design approval to a new conference center and office building for the Hoover Institution. Architect's rendering of the entry from Lasuen Mall.

At a recent meeting, the Stanford University Board of Trustees heard a detailed talk on the state of the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford, presented by Richard Saller, dean of the school.

It was one of the highlights of the board's Feb. 9-10 meeting, said Steven A. Denning, chair of the Board of Trustees.

Trustees also set tuition for 2015-16, and approved four construction projects, including a new photon science laboratory building at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and a new conference center and office building for the Hoover Institution.

Humanities and Sciences

Saller told trustees about the wide array of academic offerings at H&S, which has more than 50 departments and interdisciplinary degree programs spanning the humanities, arts, languages and literatures, social sciences, mathematics and the physical and life sciences.

Current enrollment in H&S includes 2,154 undergraduates, 393 master's students and 1,907 doctoral students. The school has 579 faculty members.

Saller talked about the national and international awards given to H&S faculty last year, including 2014 Nobel Prize in chemistry to W.E. Moerner, a professor of chemistry; the 2014 Fields Medal, which was awarded to Maryam Mirzakhani, a professor of mathematics; and the 2014 MacArthur Fellowship, which was awarded to Stanford psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt, who studies race and the law.

In addition, Saller discussed Chem-H (Chemistry, Engineering & Medicine for Human Health), a broad interdisciplinary initiative whose faculty will span the worlds of chemistry, biology, engineering and medicine.

Saller said the school is looking forward to the fall 2015 opening of the McMurtry Building for the Department of Art and Art History. It is the third new building to open in Stanford's growing arts district in as many years. Bing Concert Hall opened in 2013, and the Anderson Collection at Stanford University opened in 2014.

Tuition approved for 2015-16 academic year

Trustees also approved a 3.5 percent increase in undergraduate tuition for the 2015-16 academic year, and reaffirmed its commitment to keeping a Stanford education accessible and affordable through need-blind admission and a generous need-based financial aid program.

Thanks to substantial increases in financial aid in recent years, the average net price of a Stanford education – the amount a student would pay to attend Stanford, taking financial aid into consideration and adjusting for inflation – dropped $1,203 (-4 percent overall; -0.4 percent compound annual growth rate) between 2003 and 2013, the last decade for which numbers are available.

"We hope families will focus on the fact that the net cost of an undergraduate education at Stanford has actually gone down," Denning said. "The university is doing everything it can to maintain the quality of the education, which is among the best, and is acutely aware of the importance of providing adequate financial aid. It's something Stanford, and our families, should feel really good about."

Photon Science Laboratory at SLAC National Accelerator

Trustees gave design and construction approval to a new Photon Science Laboratory Building at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

SLAC supports a national and international community of scientific users performing cutting-edge research in support of the mission of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science.

The new Photon Science Laboratory Building will provide a world-class research facility for SLAC and for the four joint institutes Stanford and SLAC created to conduct collaborative research projects. The four joint institutes are:

In addition, the new facility will provide centralized laboratory space that will allow the existing SLAC photon science program to expand. SLAC's work encompasses a wide-ranging set of scientific programs in chemical, materials and energy sciences.

The laboratory facility, which will be energy efficient and environmentally sustainable, is designed to accommodate about 140 users, staff and visitors. The total project budget is $95 million for the three-story building.

The modern lab space also will support research collaborations with outside scientists engaged with SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source and Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource user facilities.

Construction is expected to begin in March or April. The facility is expected to be ready for use in late 2017.

Conference center for Hoover Institution

Trustees gave design approval to a new conference center and office building for the Hoover Institution, a public policy research center at Stanford devoted to the advanced study of politics, economics and political economy.

The building will provide more space for Hoover, which has outgrown its facilities for conferences, symposia and donor retreats.

The primary wing of the Hoover Conference Center and Office Building will house public functions on the ground floor, including a 400-seat auditorium and dining/multipurpose room that will accommodate 440 attendees.

Private offices with conference rooms will be located on the second floor.

Hoover's new building will be located on the site now occupied by the Cummings Art Building, which will be demolished. Cummings is the home of the Department of Art and Art History, which will be moving into its new home – the McMurtry Building for the Department of Art and Art History – when it is completed later this year.

The $65 million Hoover project is expected to return to trustees for construction approval in October. The building is expected to be completed in the spring of 2017.

California Avenue Faculty Homes

Trustees gave partial construction approval to the California Avenue Faculty Homes project, authorizing site preparation, rough grading and installation of utilities.

The project will provide 180 new homes for faculty, including 68 single-family detached homes and 112 condominiums.

The first homes are expected to be ready for occupancy during the first quarter of 2017. The remaining homes are expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2018.

Underground parking at Roble Field

Trustees gave construction approval for a five-level underground parking garage at Roble Field, which is located between the Arrillaga Outdoor Education and Recreation Center and Roble Gym.

The garage, officially known as Parking Structure 10, will provide 1,165 parking stalls.

Roble Field will be restored to recreational use after the project is completed. Construction is on schedule and the garage is expected to open by July 2016.