MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF VISITORS OF
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
June 21, 1973
A regular meeting of the Board of Visitors of Virginia Commonwealth
University was held on Thursday, June 21, 1973, at 9:00 a.m. in the President's
Dining Room.
Present were Drs. Blanton and Thornton, Messrs. Dabney, McGehee,
Obenshain, Scott, Seaborn and Turnbull, and Miss Keyser. Dr. Gwathmey,
Mr. Norris, Mr. Sheffield, Mr. Shumate and Mrs. Stone were absent. Also
present were Drs. Brandt, Brooke, Fleshood, Neal, Smith, Willett, Wilson
and Woods; Messrs. Holmes and Imirie, and Miss Cosby.
Dr. Blanton called the meeting to order. On motion duly made and
seconded, the following minutes were approved: Regular Meetings of the
Board of Visitors, held April 19, 1973, and May 17, 1973; Special Meetings
of the Property Committee, held May 17, 1973, and June 5, 1973; and Special
Meetings of the Development Committee, held June 6, 1973, and June 11, 1973.
Dr. Brandt distributed a written report to the Board and also made a
verbal report. These two reports are attached to the minutes.
Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously resolved
that separate resolutions of condolences and appreciation be prepared with
respect to Dr. David Hume, Dr. Edward Lund and Dr. George Oliver and that
copies of the resolutions be sent to the families.
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Dr. Blanton read a letter from Mr. John H. Temple to the Governor
submitting Sen. Temple's resignation from the Board of Visitors. Mr. Temple
sent copies of his letter to Dr. Brandt and Dr. Blanton; both have responded
to Mr. Temple. Dr. Blanton noted that Mr. Temple's resignation came as a
surprise to him, and expressed the deep appreciation of the Board for Mr.
Temple's long and effective service to the Medical College of Virginia and
to the University.
Dr. Brandt described the proposal to establish a Continuing Education
Center. This would involve one central office which would handle arrangements
for seminars given by the University. The University proposes to use office
space in a Richmond hotel and also to reserve blocks of rooms in the hotel
and to provide food service for participants in the conferences. This proposal
could provide good public relations for the University both in the community
and across the state. At present, each seminar or conference is managed by
separate people at different hotels throughout the city. Having one central
office would give VCU greater cohesion in this area. Dr. Willett noted that
the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is putting pressure on insti-
tutions to name a person as coordinator of continuing education. Dr. Howard
L. Sparks was recently appointed as Assistant Vice-President for Continuing
Education at VCU. The facility being considered is the Holiday Inn Downtown.
On motion duly made and seconded, the establishment of a Continuing Educa-
tion Center was approved unanimously.
Mr. John A. Mapp, Dean of the Evening College and Summer Schools,
made a very interesting presentation on the summer sessions. He described
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the reasons for the outstanding success of the summer sessions.
Following a report by Dr. Neal on the Richmond Eye and Ear Hospital
Development Plan, on motion made and seconded, the following resolution
was adopted unanimously:
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Visitors of
Virginia Commonwealth University receive the report
on the Richmond Eye and Ear Hospital Development
Plan indicating their proposal to proceed independently
with the development of a new facility on the north
half of the block facing Marshall Street between
10th and 11th Streets.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that by this resolu-
tion, the Board of Visitors take note of these plans
of the Richmond Eye and Ear Hospital and reaffirm
to the Board of that institution the strong desire of
VCU to work in a cooperative fashion, offer consulta-
tion when appropriate and continue to approve the
shared services already in existence between the two
institutions.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that it is the desire
of MCV/VCU to seek an affiliation with the Richmond
Eye and Ear Hospital. We wish to acknowledge with
pleasure the decision of the Richmond Eye and Ear
Hospital to stay in the area adjacent to the MCV
Campus and feel confident that the educational pur-
poses and objectives of the Medical College of
Virginia of Virginia Commonwealth University can
be enhanced by the development of a significant
affiliation agreement.
Dr. Blanton appointed Mr. Dabney as Chairman of the Nominating
Committee and noted that he plans to ask Mr. Norris and Mr. Sheffield to
serve on the Committee.
On motion made and seconded, the following changes in names for
two departments in the School of Pharmacy were approved unanimously: the
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Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Chemistry is changed to the
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry; the Department of Pharmacy and
Pharmacognosy is changed to the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutics.
Mr. Holmes distributed a corrected copy of the Hospital Accounts
Committee Report indicating certain corrections in the 1971-72 Year-to-Date
Column. The corrected figures for that column are: Total Written Off -
$3,803,302.20; Total Paid - $49,519.92; and Grand Total - $3,852,821.72.
On motion made and seconded, the Hospital Accounts Report was approved
unanimously as corrected.
On motion made and seconded, the Faculty Appointments and Changes
of Status were approved unanimously with the following corrections: Page 11,
Mr. Temple Bayliss' effective dates should read 9/1/73 through 6/30/74; an
addition under Changes of Status of Mr. Charles L. McLeod, from Admissions'
Advisor with rank of Instructor, to Assistant Director of Admissions, effective
7/1/73 through 6/30/74.
There was some discussion on the lists of people being denied tenure
and those being awarded tenure. It was agreed that tenure decisions are
personnel actions and, therefore, are considered confidential information.
Dr. Blanton noted that the list of those being denied tenure will probably in-
crease as time goes on because of the fact that more people will be awarded
tenure. If a tenure quota system is adopted, there will not be as many
positions available for tenure. It was noted that the list of tenure denials
appears in the Board's agenda at the request of the Board and is not for
general distribution.
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The Board then went into Executive Session with Dr. Brandt remaining.
The Board approved two corrections (Dr. Arnold P. Fleshood and Dr. George
W. Jennings) to the list of continuing faculty which appeared in the June
agenda of the Board.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:30 p.m.
Secretary
APPROVED:
Chairman
Report of the President to the Board of Visitors
June 21, 1973
The past month saw the deaths of three men who had played very
important roles in the University--Dr. David Hume, Dr. Edward Lund and
Dr. George Oliver. All three played very significant roles--Dr. Oliver
formerly, and Dr. Hume and Dr. Lund currently. We also note with regret
the fact that Bill Broaddus is leaving the Attorney General's Office. Bill
has been assigned to the educational problems and, as such, has served
as a very personal legal advisor to a great many of the VCU administration.
He will be missed. His replacement will be Mr. Rusty Ryland who was
also his predecessor and then went to VPI as Assistant to the President and
is returning to the Attorney General's Office.
The month saw the normal end-of-the-academic-year events. All
in all, things seemed to go off very well.
The Governor's Budget Advisory group made a tour of the two campuses.
They heard a presentation on each campus with regard to our Capital Outlay
requests for the next biennium. I believe that the presentations were well
received. The group seemed particularly attentive, and the questions were
constructive. We appreciate the cooperation of several of the members of
the Board.
During the month, several of the administrative group were hosts
for their counterparts at the University of Richmond for an enjoyable luncheon
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The Faculty Senate has recommended against tenure quotas and has
proposed an elaborate plan of "staff planning groups."
The price freeze announced by President Nixon caught us at a par-
ticularly bad time. We were in the process of preparing a recommendation
for this meeting for an increase in room rates in the hospital. Our costs
now exceed the price charged by a significant amount, and third party pay-
ment is frequently paying the lesser of the two. We will be watching the
developments of Phase IV with a great deal of interest on this account. An
increase in rates is going to be quite critical to the successful operation
of the hospitals in the coming year.
The following are very brief reports on the progress of the various
buildings:
MCV Parking Deck - The contract was signed Wednesday,
June 20. The contractor thinks the first 1,000 spaces will
be available for use in about one year.
Nursing Education Building - The bids for renovation are
in, and the contract will be assigned as soon as approval
is obtained from the Division of Engineering and Buildings.
Education (Oliver Hall) and Science Building - The revised
working drawings are in the Division of Engineering and
Buildings. They will go out for bids as soon as approval
is received.
Health Sciences Building - The Property Committee has
approved the revised schematic drawings which have now
gone back to the Division of Engineering and Buildings for
approval.
Performing Arts Center - Working drawings are in.
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Dormitory - The schematic drawings have been in the
Division of Engineering and Buildings for some time. As
soon as they are okayed, we will go to the Art Commission.
Student Center - We have recommended RTKL, Incorporated,
as architects. The Division of Engineering and Buildings
is holding approval waiting for a revised financial feasibility
study.
Report of the President to the Board of Visitors
June 21, 1973
In addition to the written report distributed by Dr. Brandt, he made the
following verbal report.
Three faculty members who have been denied tenure are appealing the de-
cisions. Another case involves a student who was suspended from the
University. She was found guilty by the Honor Council on the MCV Campus
of lying about her cheating. After that decision was made, the case was
taken through two separate appeal hearings. After the hearings, she was
graded in her course and did not pass. Therefore, she is also academically
ineligible to return.
The AAUP Chapter at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland has requested a
collective bargaining election. VCU may feel some of this because the two
campuses are located near each other.
Applications for the West Campus are still below the number of last year.
However, one trend seems to be that applications that would normally not
have been accepted at VCU are only half as large this year. This may be
due to the opening of more community colleges. We will not be far behind
the number of acceptable applications. The nationwide leveling of enrollments is being encountered
As of July 1, 1973, Medicare and Medicaid will begin paying either the
costs or charges in hospitals, whichever is the lower. Our income will
decrease because our charges are significantly below costs. An increase
in room rates had been prepared for approval, but Phase IV precludes that
possibility at this time.
Dr. Thornton inquired about the resignation of Miss Fritsch. It was
explained that her resignation was due primarily to the reorganization in
the hospitals.
A copy of a letter was sent to the Board concerning the Page Mauck Ortho-
paedic Club meeting at which the Division of Orthopedics at MCV/VCU
was discussed. Dr. Neal noted that the Acting Chairman of the Department
of Surgery is recruiting for a Chairman of the Division of Orthopedics.
Residents in Orthopedics feel that there should be a separate Department
of Orthopedics instead of a Division under the Department of Surgery.
Since there have only been one or two people in the Division of Ortho-
pedics for the past few years, it would not seem to be a wide decision
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to make it a separate department. The University of Virginia is doing a great
deal of specializing in Orthopedics. We do not feel that there should be two
large departments so close together. Each school cannot specialize in every-
thing. We do not see Orthopedics as being a large specialty here.
RTKL, Incorporated, has been selected as the architect for the Student Union.
RTKL will subcontract part to Glave, Newman and Anderson when RTKL is
approved by the Division of Engineering and Buildings.
