ST. LOUIS -- Southeast Missouri State University's Board of Regents on Thursday approved the issuance of 30-year revenue bonds to finance a $6.5 million project to build two parking garages on the car-crowded campus.

The regents also approved the issuance of $15.6 million in bonds for a campus energy savings project that includes improvements to the university's power plant. The money saved from reduced energy costs will be used to pay off the bonds over 10 years, school officials said.

The actions came at the start of a two-day retreat with the university's top administrators that wound up Friday at the Westin Hotel at Cupples Station in downtown St. Louis.

The regents will meet today in Cape Girardeau to consider raising student fees and parking fines, among other business. The meeting will start at 10 a.m. in the University Center Ballroom.

As part of the retreat on Friday, the regents were scheduled to tour the board-chartered Lift for Life middle school in St. Louis.

The 364-space, two-level garage will be built on Henderson Avenue north of Broadway. A 340-space, two-level structure will be built on the Sprigg Street parking lot that serves the Towers residence halls. Construction on the Henderson garage is expected to begin in December after the close of the fall semester. Work on the Towers garage could start in March.

Both projects should be completed by fall 2003, school officials said.

The board also welcomed a new student regent, Laura Hockensmith, a sophomore from Manchester, Mo. Associate Circuit Judge Carol Bader of the 23rd judicial circuit swore in Hockensmith, who was appointed by Gov. Bob Holden in January and confirmed by the Missouri Senate on Feb. 27.

Hockensmith will serve a two-year term.