Transcript Staff Writer

The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents on Monday approved three steps toward making an engineering quadrangle on the Norman campus a reality.

Plans for building a transportation operations center for the campus buses, though, hit a snag. The board had its December meeting at the Stephenson Research and Technology Center in Norman.

For engineering and technology facilities to be built off Jenkins Avenue, between Boyd and Felgar streets, the regents approved:

Design development phase plans for the OU College of Engineering Practice Facility, as completed by architectural firm Miles Associates Inc.

Preparation of construction documents for the practice facility and Devon Energy Hall, and

The university's request to advertise and receive bids from construction.

The $10 million practice facility will have about 44,000 square feet for labs, multidisciplinary projects, tutoring, student organizations, a K-12 support center, a library and various offices. Devon Energy Hall, budgeted at $30 million, will have 104,000 square feet of research and teaching labs, classrooms and space for the schools of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science.

OU President David Boren anticipates the university will award a construction contract next spring, "with substantial completion expected approximately 22 to 24 months therafter."

In a separate agenda item, the regents agreed to name the building the ExxonMobil Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Practice Facility. ExxonMobil last month announced a $5 million donation toward building the facility in honor of Rawl, an OU graduate and donor and former Exxon CEO.

Meanwhile, the board followed Boren's recommendation to reject all bids for constructing the Transportation Operations Center. The building to house buses, a fueling center and a service area just south of the new OU police station has an approved budget of $9.1 million.

OU received three bids and each exceeded the estimated construction costs.

The regents also approved the UOSA student activity fee budget for calendar year 2006, figured at $627,909, and agreed to minor revisions to the student code.

One would give university officials the right to postpone action "pending the disposition of any criminal matter to avoid interfering with the criminal process."

"The principal thrust of it is to cooperate with law enforcement," Boren said. "... It's a matter of timing, allowing the judicial process to take place."