President Bill Perry has come a long way since his first day in office on July 1, 2007, and the suspense of whether he would continue his service was lifted on Friday.

Perry was nearing the end of his five-year contract as president, and the Board of Trustees unanimously approved a three-year extension to his contract.

Robert Webb, the chairman of the Board of Trustees, said the board conducted a thorough annual evaluation of Perry’s performance based upon the goals he set for the year for both the university and for himself.

“We have been pleased to have outstanding results from those evaluations, and we look forward to working with you for at least three years,” Webb said after the extension approval.

The board members created a committee to negotiate the terms of Perry’s contract at their Sept. 16 meeting, and Perry worked with trustees Leo Welch and Joe Dively to reach an agreement.

“Three years seemed to be the right length, and it is what I wanted,” Perry said. Perry’s salary for the first year of his contract extension is $290,000, which is about a 3.8 percent increase.

“I am amazed at how quickly the years have gone by, but I never want to rest, and I will strive to keep moving forward to service the Eastern community,” Perry said.

“I think the most satisfying part of being president is all of the personal relationships that develop, and that is one of the things that sets Eastern apart.”

The board members also approved a two-year contract extension for Bill Weber, vice president for business affairs; a one-year and five month extension for Bob Martin, vice president for university advancement.

The board also approved a one-year extension for Barbara Burke, the director of intercollegiate athletics; and a three-year contract for new Head Football Coach Dino Babers.

Perry said he was looking forward to seeing Babers “hit the ground running and passing.”

With approval of the Board of Trustees, Eastern began to take the final steps to comply with the Dec. 31, 2012 deadline of Fire Sprinkler Dormitory Act into law.

The board approved the $997,788 expenditure request, which will allow the university to purchase and install sprinkler systems for Ford, McKinney and Weller halls.

Gary Reed, the director Faculties, Planning and Management, said the university began the process in 1999 before the law was passed.

The construction is scheduled to begin May 7 and will be completed before students move in for the Fall 2012 semester.

Stephen Shrake is the associate director for design and construction and is one of the project coordinators. He said the three residence halls are the last to receive the fire sprinkler system because of their material make up.

“The Triad is one of the smaller (groups) of buildings and made of concrete with little ventilation,” Shrake said. “This means they are not as combustible and less vulnerable than the other buildings.”

Although the work will not begin until summer, Shrake said they wanted to get the approval early in order to allow the contractors to acquire equipment and supplies.

“This way there will be no delay and the work will be done by the time the students return,” Shrake said.

Treasurer Paul McCann said the funds will come from the housing department.

“We started this process before it became law in hopes that the state would provide some type of funding, but it never came,” McCann said.

The board also approved a 3.25 percent increase for the Fall 2012 room and board rate, which is the lowest increase in 20 years.

Students living in the residence halls and Greek Court in face an increase ranging from $128 to $145 depending on their meal plan.

The rent for University Apartments increased $13 to $14 per month, and students in University Court face an increase of $35 to $52 extra depending on the contract and room type.

Rachel Rodgers and Amy Wywialowski can be reached at 581-2812 or dennewsdesk@gmail.com.