The strategic plans for each of the three state universities will be discussed Thursday during the Arizona Board of Regents meeting, being held on the campus of Northern Arizona University.

The University of Arizona's plan outlines four strategic directions:

• Prepare Arizona's Youth and Ensure Access and Opportunity.
• Engage and Graduate Students Who Can Contribute to the State, Nation and World.
• Provide World-Class Research That Improves the Human Condition in Arizona and Beyond.
• Partner With and Serve the People of Arizona.

The plan also covers proposed new programs and proposed changes to existing programs, among other things. The entire academic stragiec plan is available on the Arizona Board of Regents Web site.

The regents also will hear about the universties' progress in implementing the recommendations from the Task Force on Textbook Costs, which were approved in June 2007. Among the recommendations were creating buyback incentives for students to increase the number of textbooks returned, ensuring that each university bookstore implemented a low-price guarantee, and creating/expanding a textbook rental pilot program at all the university campuses, using the UA's program as a model.

Other items on the agenda:

• The board will vote on the capital development plans for all three universities. The UA is requesting authorization to proceed with four new projects, three resubmitted projects and three previously approved projects, totaling $798.5 million. Project details are available online.
• The regents will vote on the implementation of the UA Science Center/Arizona State Museum project in downtown Tucson. The $130 million project is a collaboration with the city of Tucson to construct a 127,000-square-foot facility that will be funded with tax increment financing revenues from the Rio Nuevo district.
• The regents will vote on the revised articles of incorporation, bylaws and the appointment of the directors of the UA Research Park Development Corp.
• The board will vote to increase the Arizona Students Association student fee from $1 per semester to $2 per semester. The fee is used to fund ASA, which is a student advocacy organization that comprises students from the three state universities.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:45 a.m. on Thursday at NAU's High Country Conference Center and conclude midday Friday.

More information and a complete agenda for the meeting are available at http://www.abor.asu.edu.