MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF VISITORS OF
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
HELD ON SEPTEMBER 25, 1969
A regular meeting of the Board of Visitors of Virginia
Commonwealth University was held on the 25th day of September,
1969, at 10:00 o'clock in the forenoon in the Board Room of Sanger
Hall, Health Sciences Division of the University pursuant to due
notice.
Present were all members of the Board of Visitors except
Messrs. Hunton, Wilson, McGehee and Dr. Mullen.
Present by invitation were Drs. Brandt, Brooke, Fleshood,
Lyons, Messrs. Edwards, Heil, Holmes, Ware, and Miss Wilkinson.
Mr. Brent served as Chairman of the meeting in the absence
of Mr. Hunton and Mr. Wilson and Miss Wilkinson recorded the
minutes.
On motion duly made, seconded and unanimously carried, the
minutes of the Executive Committee meetings of the Board of Visitors
held on July 14, 1969 and on August 14, 1969 were approved as
distributed. The Minutes of the regular meeting of the Board of
Visitors held on July 31, 1969 were amended to show that the
resignation of Mr. Dabney as Rector resulted from his contractual
committment to write a history of Virginia, and as amended the
minutes were on motion duly made, seconded and unanimously carried,
approved in the form distributed.
At the request of the Chairman, Dr. Brandt then presented
his report as follows:
There are, he said, still three vacant vice presidential
positions, Vice President for Student Affairs, Vice President for
University Hospitals, and Vice President for Health Sciences.
He pointed out, however, that an offer has been made to Dr. Richard
I. Wilson for the position of Vice President for Student Affairs
which is still outstanding, and that Dr. Evan Calkins had been
interviewed for the position of Vice President for Health Sciences
with the Selection Committee choosing to continue its search and
having selected four or five additional candidates for consideration.
He also said that an offer was made to Mr. Joe Greathouse for the
position of Vice President for University Hospitals but was not
accepted. Accordingly, the committee has chosen two additional
candidates for consideration.
Moving to the next item in his report Dr. Brandt stated
that in view of recent strikes at several hospitals, such as
Suffolk, Johns Hopkins and the Medical College of South Carolina,
steps are being taken to study the situation at the University's
hospitals. He said that a representative had been sent to
Charleston, South Carolina to review their problems and solutions
and that arrangements were being made for a meeting with various
city and state officials in order to determine what action would
appear to be most appropriate if a similar situation should
develop in the University's hospitals. A Planning Committee,
chaired by Mr. Alan Heilig, has been appointed to formulate a
plan and an effort is already being made to improve the situation.
Dr. Brandt thereupon pointed out that the proposed
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Budget had been presented to the Governor's Advisory Committee
on Monday and that a short summary thereof had been mailed to each
Board member.
Turning to the Master Site Plan, Dr. Brandt announced
that a meeting had been held with representatives of Llewelyn-
Davies Associates and Glave, Newman and Anderson to discuss the
Master Site Plan and that at the present time a contract is being
written with the work to begin by the first of October or as soon
thereafter as possible. He indicated that the work would require
from 7 to 8 months and would cost approximately $100,000 to
$110,000.
The President then said that he and Mrs. Brandt would
hold a reception in their home the evening of September 11, the
afternoon of September 12, and the evening of September 12 for
faculty members and various other guests and that he hoped that
the members of the Board would be able to attend.
Dr. Brandt thereupon announced that he would like to
take the Board members on a tour of each campus in the near future
in order that they might get the feel of how things were being done
at the University. He said that a day's tour would be planned for
each division, and the days would be several weeks apart.
Continuing his report Dr. Brandt advised that the
University is being sued for $175,000 as the result of a crane
being dropped through several floors of Webster Hall when it was
under construction. He explained that the delay in the completion
of the building due to the accident has caused the University a
loss of $175,000 and that accordingly this amount was being
withheld from the contractor, Basic Construction Company. In
order to resolve the matter, the contractor has instituted suit
to recover this amount.
Dr. Brandt thereupon said that the Committee appointed
to review Black Studies had in his judgment done an outstanding
job and that the two new courses which had been added this year
were being well attended.
Dr. Brandt then pointed out that another name for the
School of Arts and Sciences is still being considered; that the
Department of Family Practice would be established, but that the
search for the Chairman of the Department would require considerable
time; and that the accreditation team which had recently visited
the Health Sciences Division was most complimentary of the faculty
and Dean Nelson and that accreditation would continue. He
observed, however, that the Committee expressed concern about the
facilities and staffing of the hospitals and also with respect to
the new administrative structure. Accordingly, the Committee
plans to review the matter again in two years.
In concluding his report Dr. Brandt then presented a
Proposed University Governance Structure and said that unless the
Board objected he would present the same to a joint faculty
meeting to be held this date.
He explained that the apex of the structure would be
called the University Assembly and would be composed of 15 members
of the Administration, 15 members of the faculty, and 6 members
of the student body. Representatives of the Administration, he
said, would be the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Vice
President for Health Sciences, the Vice President for Student
Affairs, and the University's twelve Deans. The representatives
of the faculty would include one member of the faculty from each
of the twelve Schools to be elected by the faculty members of the
School, and three faculty members elected by the Academic Senate.
The student representatives would include one graduate student from
each Division, the Student Government President from each
Division, the President of the Academic Center's House of Repre-
sentatives and the President of the Senior Class. He also pointed
out that the proposal included a sub-unit of the University Assembly
which would give preliminary consideration to matters dealing with
student affairs. The sub-unit would be composed of three members
of the faculty, three members of the Student Personnel Office, and
nine students.
After a discussion thereof, on motion duly made,
seconded and unanimously carried, Dr. Brandt was authorized to
establish the proposed structure.
After an explanation by Mr. Holmes, on motion duly made,
seconded and unanimously carried, the following resolutions were
thereupon adopted:
BE IT RESOLVED, that the fourth paragraph of
the resolution adopted September 26, 1969, Subject:
"Resolution for Exemption of Certain Directors or
Officers and Establishment of a Managerial Group"
is amended to delete the names of Robert B. Smith,
Jr., Provost, and L. Daniel Crooks, Vice President
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for Business and Finance and Security Officer, and
to change the title of John H. Heil, Jr., from Vice
Provost to Acting Provost and Security Officer; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the resolution
adopted by the Board of Visitors, Medical College of
Virginia on April 10, 1964, April 15, 1966 and July
13, 1962, and the resolution adopted by the Board of
Visitors, Richmond Professional Institute on March
2, 1966, concerning authorized signatures for various
bank accounts are hereby rescinded and;
WHEREAS, it is necessary that certain officials
be authorized by the Board of Visitors to sign checks
and other documents as may be required for the proper
conduct of the business affairs of the Virginia Common-
wealth University;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the
incumbents of the offices shown below and their
successors be designated and hereby authorized to sign
checks and other orders for the payment of money
drawn on local agency funds, on special grants, and
similar instruments, and that the President shall
designate which signatures shall be approved for the
various accounts:
Academic Division:
Vice President for Finance, Raymond T. Holmes, Jr.
Controller-Treasurer, Thomas R. Stennett, Jr.
Bursar, E. V. Woodall
Chief Accountant, W.J. Cosby
Health Sciences Division:
Vice President for Finance, Raymond T.Holmes, Jr.
Controller-Treasurer, Thomas R. Stennett, Jr.
Chief Accountant, Irvin W. Holsapple, Jr.
and for the University Hospital Patients Deposit Fund,
the incumbents of the following offices and their
successors signatures shall be authorized:
Hospital Administrator and/or
Assistant Administrator, Emmet K. Reid
Hospital Fiscal Officer, Arthur J. Jaeger; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that all banks that are
approved by the Treasury Board of the Commonwealth of
Virginia are approved as depositories and accounts
may be maintained with such banks; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the officers of
the University who are authorized to sign checks
and other orders for the payment of money by the
foregoing resolution are hereby authorized and
directed to execute on behalf of the University and
file with such banks the requisite signature cards;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the standard forms
of banking resolutions used by such banks, copies of
which are hereby directed to be filed with the minutes
of this meeting, are hereby approved and adopted and
the Secretary of this Board is authorized to certify
such resolutions and deliver the same to such banks.
After further explanation by Mr. Holmes, on motion duly
made, seconded and unanimously carried, the following resolution
was adopted:
BE IT RESOLVED, that the form of Agreement
by and between the University and the Virginia Electric
and Power Company presented to this meeting, granting
an easement for the purpose of providing electric service
to the new Gymnasium be, and it hereby is, approved and
the officers of this University are hereby authorized
and directed to execute and deliver the same.
Mr. Holmes then reported that the Hospital Accounts
Committee had reviewed 5,858 accounts in the total amount of
812,277.64 and recommended that ER in the amount of 124,314
be charged to the Davenport Fund, and that the remaining accounts
be charged to teaching cases, indigent patients and bad debts,
which recommendation on motion duly made, seconded and unanimously
carried, was approved.
Thereupon, on motion duly made, seconded and unanimously
carried, the Gifts and Grants for the months of July and August,
1969 presented to the meeting were approved and acceptance thereof
authorized.
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Following an explanation by Mr. Holmes, on motion duly
made, seconded and unanimously carried, the following resolution
was adopted:
WHEREAS, the University has duly advertised
for bids for the construction of a classroom building
to be located on the city block bounded by Floyd
Avenue, Linden, Main and Harrison Streets, and bids
for such construction were received on August l4, 1969;
and
WHEREAS, the low bid received was submitted by
Thorington Construction Company, Inc., Richmond,
Virginia;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the award
of a contract to Thorington Construction Company, Inc.
in the amount of $3,232,000 for such construction be,
and it hereby is, authorized and the officers of the
University are authorized and directed to execute such
form of contract in connection therewith as may be
approved by the President.
Mr. Holmes then presented a proposed resolution in
connection with the award of a construction contract for an animal
research facility which was discussed and after which on motion duly
made, seconded and unanimously carried, the following resolution
was adopted:
WHEREAS, the University has duly advertised
for bids for the construction of an animal research
facility in Hanover County, Virginia, and bids for
such construction were received on August 26, 1969; and
WHEREAS, the low bid received was submitted by
Leadbetter Construction Company, Ashland, Virginia;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the
award of a contract to Leadbetter Construction Company
in the amount of S309,890 for such construction be, and
it hereby is, authorized and the officers of the
University are authorized and directed to execute such
form of contract in connection therewith as may be
approved by the President.
A list of faculty appointments and change in status was
then presented to the meeting, with the name of Miss Katherine
Smith being deleted by Colonel Heil, after which on motion duly
made, seconded and unanimously carried, the actions indicated by
the list were approved and authorized.
Dr. Arnold B. Fleshood, Dean of the School of Education,
and Dr. Harry Lyons, Dean of the School of Dentistry, reported
with respect to their respective Schools, following which Dr.
Brandt announced that Mr. Harvey Deal had been appointed University
Librarian.
Mr. Brent then welcomed Dr. Wyndham B. Blanton to the
Board of Visitors and pointed out that he had been appointed by
the Governor to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of
Mr. Wayne.
There being no further business to come before the
meeting, the same on motion duly made, seconded and unanimously
carried, adjourned.
Secretary
Chairman
