MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF VISITORS OF
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
HELD ON SEPTEMBER 26, 1968
A regular meeting of the Board of Visitors of Virginia
Commonwealth University was held on the 26th day of September,
1968 at 10:00 o'clock in the forenoon in the Board Room of the
Medical College of Virginia, Health Sciences Division of the
University in the City of Richmond, Virginia pursuant to due
notice.
Present were all of the members of the Board of Visitors
and by invitation the following: Mr. Fred O. Wygal, Executive
Administrator; Dr. Francis J. Brooke, Acting Provost, General
Academic Division; Dr. R. Blackwell Smith, Provost, Health
Sciences Division; Mr. Raymond T. Holmes, Jr., Comptroller,
General Academic Division; Mr. L. Daniel Crooks, Vice President,
Business and Finance, Health Sciences Division; Mr. Charles P.
Cardwell, Vice President, Health Sciences Division, and Mrs. Edna
F. Hodges, Secretary to the Executive Administrator.
Mr. Dabney served as Chairman of the meeting and Mr. Brent
as Secretary thereof.
On motion duly made, seconded and unanimously carried, the
minutes of the special meeting of the Board of Visitors held on
August 26, 1968 were approved in the form distributed to all of
the Visitors.
Proceeding to Item No. 2 on the Agenda, the Chairman called
on Dr. Brooke to present the report of the General Academic Division
Dr. Brooke thereupon reported that a cooperative effort was
being developed under Title 3, Higher Education Act of 1965, with
Randolph Macon College, University of Richmond, Virginia Union
University and Virginia Commonwealth pursuant to which various
resources of the various Institutions would be pooled to the mutual
advantage of all. He also stated that the University had been
requested by the Twin Trailer Study Commission constituted by Act
of the last General Assembly to study the use of twin trailers in
Virginia and that plans were being developed for the study through
the School of Business, Economics Department.
In connection with attendance, Dr. Brooke reported that
6,450 full time day, degree seeking students were in attendance
and that all together, day and night, full time and part time,
10,650 separate students were in attendance. He pointed out that
this represented a slight increase in the number recently given
to the Executive Committee.
He thereupon presented to the meeting memoranda dated
September 20, 1968 and September 26, 1968 containing recommendations
with respect to the faculty of the General Academic Division.
After a discussion thereof, on motion duly made, seconded and
unanimously carried, the faculty matters set forth in the memoranda
dated September 20, 1968 and September 26, 1968 presented to the
meeting were approved and authorized and the Secretary directed to
attach a copy thereof to the minutes of the meeting.
Dr. Brooke then reviewed two resolutions which had been
adopted by the Executive Committee, one with respect to the use
of $50,000 of "local funds" in the construction of the Library
Building, and the other with respect to an application for a
Federal grant in connection with the construction of the School of
Business Building, which resolutions were, on motion duly made,
seconded and unanimously carried, ratified and affirmed.
The Chairman then called on Dr. Smith to present the report
of the Health Sciences Division, whereupon he reviewed the number
of students in attendance in the Health Sciences Division which he
pointed out represented the greatest enrollment ever obtained.
Dr. Smith then generally reviewed various gifts and grants
which had been received, pointing out that in total amount of
grants received the Health Sciences Division held a position of
99 out of approximately 2200 Institutions being in the top 4%.
Dr. Smith then asked Mr. Cardwell to explain to the Board
the proposed plan with respect to the extension of Leigh Street.
Mr. Cardwell then reviewed the proposal in detail with the benefit
of visual aids. He also presented to the meeting a memorandum and
a copy of a letter dated September 19, 1968 from the Commissioner of
Administration of the Commonwealth of Virginia to Mr. Alan F.
Kiepper, City Manager of the City of Richmond, which set forth in
detail the proposed plan. After a discussion thereof, on motion
duly made, seconded and unanimously carried, the proposed Leigh
Street plan as set forth in the foregoing memorandum and letter
was approved and authorized and the Secretary directed to attach
a copy of the memorandum and letter to the minutes of the meeting.
Proceeding with his report, Dr. Smith then presented a
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memorandum dated September 13, 1968 containing various recommenda-
tions with respect to faculty. It was pointed out by Mr. Wayne
that the Executive Committee had carefully considered the
recommendations therein set forth and recommended their adoption.
After a discussion thereof, on motion duly made, seconded and
unanimously carried, the faculty recommendations set forth in the
memorandum dated September 13, 1968 were approved and authorized
and the Secretary directed to attach a copy thereof to the minutes
of the meeting.
Dr. Smith then read to the meeting a letter received
from Dr. Kinloch Nelson in which Dr. Nelson indicated his intention
to resign as Dean effective June 30, 1969. A general discussion
then followed, after which it was determined to defer action in
connection therewith for the present.
A memorandum with respect to the establishment of two
Divisions within the Department of Psychiatry was then submitted
to the meeting by title with the observation that the recommendation
therein contained had been approved by the Executive Committee.
Mr. Crooks presented a proposed "Resolution for Exemption
of Certain Directors or Officers and Establishment of a Managerial
Group" with respect to the handling of top secret material in
order that the same might be filed with the Department of Defense.
He explained that a similar resolution had been adopted by the
Board of the Medical College of Virginia but that in view of the
establishment of the University, a new resolution had been requested.
After a discussion thereof, on motion duly made, seconded and
unanimously carried, the following resolutions were adopted:
WHEREAS, current Department of Defense re-
gulations contain a provision making it mandatory that
the Chief Executive Officer (President) meet the
personnel clearance requirements established for a
contractor's facility clearance; and
WHEREAS, said Department of Defense regulations
permit the exclusion from the personnel clearance
requirements of members of the Board of Visitors and
other officers who have no need for access to classified
information, provided that a managerial group be
established to which full authorization is delegated
for the group to act with regard to all matters
involving the security of classified information in the
possession of this organization and provided that this
action is recorded in the corporate minutes;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DECLARED, that a
managerial group has been established with full authority
to act with regard to all matters involving the
security of classified information in the possession of
this firm; and the said committee shall consist of R.
Blackwell Smith, Jr., Provost; John H. Heil, Jr.,
Vice Provost; L. Daniel Crooks, Vice President, Business
and Finance and Security Officer; and Thomas R. Stennett,
Jr., Controller - Treasurer;
BE IT DECLARED FURTHER, that the members of the
managerial group and the Chief Executive Officer
(appointment of a President of Virginia Commonwealth
University has not been made at the present time) at the
present time do possess, or will be processed for, the
required security clearance; and
BE IT RESOLVED, that in the future, when any
individual enters upon any duties as Chief Executive
Officer or as a replacement for one of the managerial
group such individuals shall immediately make application
for the required security clearance; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that other members of
the Board of Visitors and other officers who do not require
access to classified information in the conduct of the
firm's business need not possess a security clearance, but
said persons can be effectively denied, and shall not be
granted access to, classified information in the possession
of the firm and shall not hold any position that would
enable them to affect corporate policies or practices in
the performance of classified contracts for the Department
of Defense.
Continuing his report, Mr. Crooks then presented the
Report of the Hospital Accounts Committee recommending that 390
accounts amounting to 70,010.25 be charged to indigent service,
bad debts, teaching cases and account adjustments, and that 6
accounts in the amount of 2,653 be charged to the Davenport Fund.
In this connection, he also presented to the meeting a memorandum
setting forth the members of the Hospital Accounts Committee and the
procedure which was followed by the Committee in considering accounts.
After a discussion of the foregoing, on motion duly made, seconded
and unanimously carried, the recommended charge-offs were approved
and authorized in the form recommended by the Hospital Accounts
Committee.
Mr. Crooks then presented a schedule setting forth a
"Summary of Accounts Disposed of by Hospital Accounts" for the fiscal
years 1965-66, 1966-67 and 1967-68 in order that the Board might
be fully informed in this respect.
He also presented to the meeting a schedule entitled
"Principal of Investment Funds Held In Trust Accounts Year Ended
June 30, 1968" which set forth the principal amount held in various
trust accounts together with the annual income to which was
attached excerpts from the various trust instruments showing the
terms and conditions under which the accounts were held, all for
the information of the Visitors.
The Executive Administrator then reported in general on the
activities of the various sub-committees which were working in
connection with the coordination of the activities of the two
Divisions and emphasized the importance of the approaching bond
issue and described the activities being carried out by friends of
the University in support thereof.
Mrs. Thalhimer, Chairman of the Student Affairs Committee,
reported that her Committee had constituted a special Graphics
Design Project Committee with broad representation and explained
that the Executive Committee with authorization expressly given
by the Board had approved the employment of Schechter & Luth to under-
take the graphics design work and had appropriated for this
purpose an amount not in excess of 40,000. She generally reviewed
what would be accomplished by Schechter & Luth and the time element
involved.
With further reference to the activities of the Student
Affairs Committee, Mrs. Thalhimer explained that the Committee had
met with student representatives and appropriate administration
officials to discuss various matters of importance to the student
body, and asked the Board for advice and guidance as to the
procedures which should be followed by her Committee in the future
in connection with such meetings. A general discussion then
followed, after which it was unanimously determined that such
procedures should be considered by the Executive Administrator,
the two Provosts and the Committee with recommendations to be made
to the next meeting of the Executive Committee with a view to a
definitive recommendation being presented to the next meeting of the
Board.
Mr. Wayne then reported that it had been suggested that the
University might join with the University of Richmond in developing
a plan to assure the future of the Virginia Institute for Scientific
Research. He reviewed various conferences which he had had with
interested officials in this connection and pointed out that the
Board of Directors of the Institute would meet on October 28 and
were very hopeful that an interim plan could be developed by that
time. After general consideration of the matter, on motion duly
made, seconded and unanimously carried, the Executive Administrator
and Dean Watts were asked to consult with the President of the
University of Richmond and the Director of the Institute for the
purpose of developing an interim plan which would assure the
continuation of the Institute through June 1969, with the anticipa-
tion that a definitive plan might be developed by that time, such
interim plan as might be suggested to be submitted to the Executive
Committee of this Board for approval.
Mr. Crooks on behalf of the Health Sciences Division, and
Mr. Holmes on behalf of the General Academic Division, then presented
a general financial review.
Dr. Brooke pointed out that many of the faculty standing
committees will in the future have student representation in order
that a student "in-put" may be available but that decision making
would as in the past be reserved to the administration.
Mr. Edwards then presented to the meeting a memorandum
describing the RPI Foundation and its history, to which was attached
a statement of its financial condition as of June 30, 1968 and a
copy of its Articles of Incorporation. He explained that this was
in response to the request of the Executive Committee that
information be made available with respect to both the RPI Foundation
and the similar Foundation related to the Health Sciences Division.
Thereupon, on motion duly made, seconded and unanimously
carried, the meeting went into Executive Session and all guests
were excused, after which Mr. Wayne reported with respect to the
search for a President. He stated that three excellent nominees
were now under consideration, any one of whom he felt could
adequately fill the position. He stated that it was his hope that
he could arrange for all three to be made available in Richmond
for a period of two days in order that they could meet Board members
and various Administrative Officials as well as take a look at
the University in depth.
There being no further business to come before the meeting,
the same on motion duly made, seconded and unanimously carried,
adjourned.
APPROVED:
10 Mos.
