The University Senate approved a resolution Thursday that endorses university support for State Issue 1, a renewal initiative for the Ohio Third Frontier program.

The initiative proposes a state constitutional amendment that will authorize the State of Ohio to issue the program up to $700 million in bonds over four years. The money would be used to provide financial assistance for research, product innovation and commercialization in support of Ohio industries and businesses in the areas of advanced materials, agbiosciences, alternative energy and fuel development, biomedical imaging, improved diagnostics, treatments and cures for cancer, heart disease and other diseases.

Susan Shockey, chair of the Government Affairs Committee, presented the resolution to the Senate. She said Ohio State’s partnership with Third Frontier has helped contribute to the creation of 48,000 jobs. OSU has also led or collaborated on 60 projects funded through the program that have developed 200 business and industry partnerships across the state, she said. The partnership has also helped the creation or attraction of 26 companies and the filing of 125 patents.

President E. Gordon Gee spoke to the Senate members, urging them to spread the word on this initiative.

“We need to put a lot of energy into this,” he said. “We worked hard to get this on the ballot.”

The Ohio Legislature approved the placement of State Issue 1 on the May 4 ballot.

Gee said he is not usually in favor of supporting initiatives, but he feels that this initiative goes “directly to the heart of the university.”

He said an important part of this initiative is that there will be no tax increase.

“This is about turning the economy in a different direction,” Gee said. “This is incredibly important to us. We have a huge stake in this.”

OSU has received $220 million in awards from the Third Frontier Program. The university has helped create state-of-the-art facilities and labs and has fostered new technologies that have been critical to economic growth, said Caroline Whitacre, OSU vice president for research.

The Third Frontier program began in 2002 and is a 10-year $1.6 billion investment. It targets five high-tech sectors: advanced and alternative energy, biomedical, advanced materials, instruments-controls-electronics and advanced propulsion.

Whitacre told the Senate it was important to renew the initiative on May 4 even though the 10-year deadline hasn’t come.

“We want to send a very strong message to businesses that Ohio is serious about this. We don’t want to take any chances,” she said.

During the Senate meeting, Kate Wolford, assistant to the president, gave an update on the President’s Council on Sustainability. She said about 30 students, faculty and staff members have been working together to establish short- and long-term priorities for a university sustainability plan.

This committee has been working to change habits and the way we view the world, she said. Wolford said she believes OSU has the potential to be a leader in the area of sustainability.

Wolford said the committee has been working with Coca-Cola, University Residences and Dining Services and Off-Campus Student Services to make changes to the campus environment.

She said there have been biodegradable products used in the dining locations, and trays have been removed in order to eliminate food waste. There has been an increase in the percentage of waste recycled because recycling bins have been placed around campus.

The Senate approved a merger of two departments. The Department of Aerospace Engineering and the Department of Mechanical Engineering are now the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

The undergraduate and graduate programs for mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering will remain separate, and the undergraduate programs will be separately accredited.

The Senate also approved a name change to a university department. The Department of Industrial, Interior, and Visual Communication is now the Department of Design.