Required Approval by the President

The president shall approve the following projects:

• Projects with a total budget of $2 million or more for construction of a new facility; addition to an existing facility; or alteration, conversion or complete replacement of an existing facility. 
• Projects of any budget amount with special review conditions, including:
  • Use of debt, internal university borrowing or gift financing,
  • Potential political, public or university community interest,
  • Siting of permanent improvements or changes to land use,
  • Long-term impacts on multiple university units (other than normal construction disruption or inconvenience) or
  • Agreements with organizations outside the university.
• Although not necessarily a construction project, any acquisition, disposal, sale, lease or easement of real property requiring Board of Regents approval.

The Capital Project Advisory Committee (CPAC) reviews construction projects and real estate actions requiring approval and provides recommendations to the President. Project submissions will be approved by the Senior Vice President, Athletics Director or equivalent senior leader responsible for the unit requesting the project.

Projects will be submitted to Facilities Planning and Management (FP&M) Planning Services, which provides staff support to CPAC and the President.  FP&M Planning Services coordinates the meetings of the CPAC Workgroup for an initial review of the projects, schedules with the President’s Office and develops the agenda for CPAC meetings, and provides the meeting results to those concerned with the projects.  The CPAC Workgroup consists of representatives of FP&M, the Provost, Student Affairs, the Athletics Department, the ISU Foundation and the Controller.  The workgroup meets to review capital projects to be proposed for approval by the President.   The workgroup acts in an advisory capacity for their respective senior leaders, FP&M and the project proponent(s).

The number and timing of project submittals for CPAC review and approval by the President depends on the type of work and project budget.  FP&M will assist university units with the development of the required CPAC submittals.  Projects generally require a Project Initiation Request to obtain approval to start developing the project, and a Project Description and Budget to obtain final approval.

The project budget includes the all the estimated one-time costs for real estate acquisition, planning, design, management, construction, associated university services, furniture, equipment and technology.  A facility is considered to be a building, utility system, road, parking lot, paved walk or other permanent real property improvement.

• Projects for which approval is required only due to special review conditions require the following:
  • Project Initiation Request:  Submit for review and approval prior to fund raising, planning, design, construction, or negotiating agreements with parties outside the university.  Describe programmatic needs, how existing facilities do not meet current or planned requirements, proposed scope, desired budget, any schedule requirements and planned fund sources.  Describe the special review condition in sufficient detail for evaluation.
  • Additional project reviews shall be as requested by CPAC or the President.
  • Approval for fund raising may be for an initial feasibility study with subsequent CPAC review, or for the project, including a feasibility study and actual fund raising if study results are favorable.
• Projects between $2 million and $5 million require the following:
  • Project Initiation Request:  Submit for review and approval prior to planning, design, and fund raising.  Describe programmatic needs, how existing facilities do not meet current or planned requirements, proposed scope, desired budget, any schedule requirements and planned fund sources.
  • Working with the project proponent(s), FP&M will develop a Program Statement for submission to the Board of Regents Office.  The Board Office must approve the Program Statement before the start of the project design.
  • Project Description and Budget:  Developed with FP&M based on the project design. Submit for review and approval prior to submission to the Board of Regents for project approval. Funds must be available for the full project budget.
  • The Board of Regents must approve the Project Description and Budget and a Schematic Design before a construction contract can be awarded.
• Projects of $5 million or greater require the following:
  • Project Initiation Request:  Submit for review and approval prior to planning, design and fund raising.  Describe programmatic needs, how existing facilities do not meet current or future requirements, proposed scope, desired budget, any schedule requirements and planned fund sources.
  • Working with the project proponent(s), FP&M will develop a Permission to Proceed with Project Planning for submission to the Board of Regents, and then a Program Statement for submission to the Board of Regents Office.
  • The Board of Regents must approve the Permission to Proceed with Project Planning, and the Board Office must approve the Program Statement before the start of the project design.
  • Project Description and Budget:  Developed with FP&M based on the project design. Submit for review and approval prior to submission to the Board of Regents for project approval. Funds must be available for the full project budget.
  • The Board of Regents must approve the Project Description and Budget and a Schematic Design before a construction contract can be awarded.
• Subsequent CPAC review and presidential approval of previously approved projects is required for changes to the project budget requiring approval by the Board of Regents, changes in the project location or site, or as requested by CPAC or the president.

No Required Approval by the President

Projects of the following types of work and budgets do not require CPAC review or approval by the president.

• Alterations, conversion, or replacement on the same site, of an existing facility with a budget under $2 million.
• Maintenance, repair or replacement of existing facility components due to deteriorated condition, obsolescence or life-cycle replacement, of any budget amount.
• Construction work on an existing facility primarily for code or regulatory compliance, or to improve energy efficiency, of any budget amount.

Construction projects over $100,000 will be initiated by submission of a Project Initiation Request to FP&M Capital Projects, which will then work with the university unit to develop the project and obtain the necessary approvals:

• Projects with a budget between $100,000 and $1,000,000 require approval of the Project Description and Budget by the Senior Vice President for Operations & Finance.
• Projects over $1,000,000 require approval of the Senior Vice President, Athletics Director or equivalent senior leader responsible for the unit requesting the project, and various approvals by the Board of Regents Office or Board of Regents.
  • A Project Initiation Request shall be approved by the appropriate Senior Vice President, Athletics Director or equivalent senior leader and submitted to FP&M.
  • Working with the project proponent(s), FP&M will develop the required submissions to the Board Office or to the Board of Regents, which depending on the project budget can include a Permission to Proceed with Project Planning, Program Statement, and Project Description and Budget.
  • Submissions to the Board Office or the Board of Regents, other than the Program Statement, shall be approved by the appropriate Senior Vice President, Athletics Director or equivalent senior leader prior to being submitted by FP&M or the university.  Working with the project proponent(s), FP&M will develop and submit the Program Statement directly to the Board Office.

Construction projects under $100,000 shall be submitted directly to FP&M in accordance with the policies of FP&M and the university division, college, department or other units.