[2007-11-09] November 9, 2007 A Regular Meeting of the Board of Visitors

              November 9, 2007
A Regular Meeting of the Board of Visitors
Minutes
A regular meeting of the Board of Visitors of Virginia Commonwealth University was held on Friday, November 9, 2007, at 8 a.m. in the Richmond Salons located in the University Student Commons at 907 Floyd Avenue.
Present were Messrs. Rosenthal (Rector), Hurtado, Jackson, Jones, Robertson, Sherman, Siegel and Snead; Drs. Bersoff, Broaddus, Doswell and Romano; and Mesdames Lambert and Rhodes. Dr. Shapiro and Mr. Baldacci were absent. Also present were Drs. Trani, Gottfredson, Holsworth, Huff, Macrina, Marolla, Moriarty, Retchin, Rhone and Rodriguez; Messrs. Bennett, Bunce, Gehring, Ohlinger, Ream, Ross and Wyeth; and Mesdames Atkinson, Balmer, Messmer and Stillman. Ms. Syed, alternate student representative to the Board, and Dr. Murphy-Judy, faculty representative to the Board, were also present.
The Report of the Rector and the Report of the President were presented.
Mr. Snead reported for the Academic and Health Affairs Policy Committee. The Proposal to Change the Program Name from the VCU Adcenter to the VCU Brandcenter was presented. The Adcenter name change was requested to reflect the current focus and future direction of the program and the advertising industry. In 1999, the VCU Adcenter was given permission by the President’s Office to “sub brand” itself both internally and externally. The authorization gave the VCU Adcenter license to create a distinct graphic identity. The Adcenter established a logo, typefaces and visual identity and has successfully supported the look in printed material, direct mail, and advertising. With increased competition within the academic market and evolving industry, the Adcenter has found that the name does not reflect the program. After research and discussion, the VCU Adcenter developed a new mission statement, which reflects changes made to the curriculum, along with the development of an Executive Education program. The statement states that the mission is to “drive the industry to embrace and master change.” The new mission statement, coupled with the evolution of the industry, supports that the modifier “Ad” no longer represents the curriculum. Instead, the industry now focuses on “brands” that are defined by total communications, including digital, packaging, retail environment, as well as advertising. The modifier “Brand” is more fitting in describing the extraordinary program that matriculates professionals who are experts in all areas of the business community. The Academic and Health Affairs Policy Committee recommended to the full Board the approval of the proposal to Change the Program Name from the VCU Adcenter to the VCU Brandcenter.
The Proposal to Establish the Center for Clinical Translational Research was presented. In February 2006, the Board of Visitors approved the VCU 2020 Vision for Excellence, the University’s strategic plan. A significant portion of the strategic plan focused on accelerating VCU’s research programs and the development and enhancement of doctoral-level education. The plan includes an ambitious vision for the VCU School of Medicine including the recruitment of new research faculty, expansion of the graduate-level basic science programs, and the construction of new laboratory and education space. In July 2005, a committee was established by the Dean of the School of Medicine to “produce a terrain map for VCU’s translational-clinical research.” The committee’s findings were summarized in a December 2005 report.
Within the University, the proposed Center for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR) would provide the necessary longitudinal and cross-disciplinary networking, culture, and infrastructure for identifying promising discoveries made in the laboratory, testing the discoveries in animals, and developing trials and studies for humans. Participation of researchers from life, physical, computer, engineering, economic, and social sciences from across the University will be critical. The Academic and Health Affairs Policy Committee recommended to the full Board the approval of the proposal to Establish the Center for Clinical and Translational Research.
The Proposal for Organizational Change in Nursing was presented. The request to change the School of Nursing department structure from a three department structure to a two department structure would result in more efficient management operations and effective mission-focused work. The department structure proposed for the VCU School of Nursing is an effort to create greater “interdisciplinary collaboration” across specialties that will enhance the teaching and research of the School. The reorganization from three to two departments was an administrative decision that has been discussed widely with faculty, departments, department chairs and the Department of Integrative Systems. There will be
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