At the monthly meeting of the University Board of Regents yesterday, University President Mary Sue Coleman downplayed speculation that she was in the running to be the next head of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Coleman’s name has been among those churning through the rumor mill after NCAA President Myles Brand passed away on Wednesday from cancer — rumors Coleman said in an interview after the regents meeting she had not heard.

“You know, newspaper people will speculate,” Coleman said with a laugh. “I’m very happy here. Very, very happy.”

A report in the USA Today mentioned Coleman as a possible successor, along with Graham Spanier, president of Penn State, and Walt Harrison, president of Hartford.

In spite of the speculation of Coleman’s future career options, the September meeting is also the time every year when the regents discuss Coleman’s job performance and, usually, approve a raise for Coleman. But not this year.

In discussing the performance review, Regent Andrea Newman (R–Ann Arbor) praised Coleman’s continued leadership of the University.

“The regents completed a review of the president over the last few months,” Newman said. “We are all greatly appreciative of her leadership. We are in unanimous agreement that she is a great president.”

Newman also said that the decision not to give Coleman a raise was per Coleman’s own request.

Since becoming president in 2002, Coleman has been given a small raise every year. The increases have usually been on par with similar raises for faculty and staff, but have never exceeded 4 percent. Last year, Coleman accepted a pay raise of 4 percent, a change from the year before when she opted to donate a 3-percent increase back to University graduate and professional programs.

In response to the performance review, Coleman thanked the regents for their kind words and said that many other people at the University made the recent successes possible.

“I’m just grateful for their support,” Coleman said of the regents and executive officers. “Their support has meant everything to me.”

New safety system approved

The regents approved $9 million to replace manual locks in buildings with electronic card readers. The renovation is expected to increase student and faculty safety by allowing access to buildings during potential lock-down emergencies.

The new electronic door locks are also expected to cut down inefficiencies on campus. A central management system will make it easier to authorize users and to replace lost or stolen keys, since keys will not need to be redistributed to all key holders when a building key is lost.

The upgrades to the buildings are expected to be complete in the spring of 2011.

University President Mary Sue Coleman said she is enthusiastic about the building access upgrades.

“I’m very excited about it,” Coleman said. “I think it’s a big step up in safety.”

Coleman said that as more resources become available, additional upgrades will be made to more buildings.

$34.7 million in construction approved

At the University’s Board of Regents monthly meeting yesterday, $34.7 million was approved for renovations and construction to the campus. The funding will upgrade emergency power systems and remodel existing space to create an infusion suite at the University’s Hospital, construct new facilities at the Intercollegiate Soccer Stadium and build new practice facilities at Crisler Arena.

Regents approved $4 million for renovations to the Hospital’s emergency power system. The upgrade will include installation of electrical power transfer switches and renovations to approximately 3,400 gross square feet. The construction project is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2010.

A new infusion suite for the Hospital was also approved and will provide off-campus accommodations for adult, non-cancer patients.