MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF VISITORS
OF VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
June 20, 1974
A regular meeting of the Board of Visitors of Virginia Commonwealth
University was held on Thursday, June 20, 1974, at 9:00 a.m. in the Board
Room of Sanger Hall.
Present were Drs. Blanton and Gwathmey; Messrs. Bradley, Dabney,
McGehee, Norris, Obenshain, Seaborn, Shumate and Turnbull; Miss Keyser
and Mrs. Stone. Mr. Scott, Mr. Sheffield and Dr. Thornton were absent.
Also present were Drs. Brandt, Brooke, Fleshood, Neal, Willett and Woods;
Messrs. Edwards, Holmes, Imirie and Temple, and Miss Cosby.
Dr. Blanton called the meeting to order. On motion made and seconded,
the minutes of a regular meeting of the Board of Visitors, held May 16 , 1974,
a special meeting of the Executive Committee, held May 29, 1974, and a
special meeting of the Property Committee, held May 30, 1974, were approved
unanimously.
Dr. Blanton reported that the Hospital Quality Assurance Committee
had not met as scheduled because the material for the committee's Considera-
tion at the meeting was not ready, but the committee will meet prior to the
next Board meeting.
Following the report of the President, Dr. Brandt explained that the
Plan for Equal Opportunity in Virginia's Institutions of Higher Education has
been submitted to HEW by the Governor, and the Governor would like the
Board of Visitors to approve the generalized plan as well as the particular
section for Virginia Commonwealth University. Following discussion, on
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motion made and seconded, the Plan was approved unanimously.
Mr. McGehee, on behalf of the Finance Committee, moved the adoption
of the Hospital Operating Budget for 1974-75 and the proposed per diem room
rates. The motion was seconded. Mr. Imirie described in detail the budget
and the reasons for the increased rates. There was some discussion, and the
budget and proposed room rates were approved unanimously.
On motion made and seconded, the Faculty Compensation Plan was
approved unanimously.
The report of the Hospital Accounts Committee was accepted unanimously
on motion made and seconded.
On Page 8 of the Faculty Appointments, Mrs. Rozanne Epps' effective
date for change in status was amended to read June 4, 1974. Following dis-
cussion, on motion made and seconded, the Faculty Appointments and Changes
in Status were approved unanimously.
Dr. Brooke distributed a corrected page for continuing faculty in
Special Services. On motion made and seconded, the recommendations for
Continuing Faculty were approved unanimously. Dr. Brandt reminded the
Board of the very confidential nature of faculty salaries.
The Board then reviewed the lists of faculty being awarded and denied
tenure.
Mr. Imirie described the Richmond Metropolitan Blood Service, Inc.,
and asked the Board to approve a Statement of Guaranty. On motion made
and seconded, the Statement of Guaranty was approved unanimously to the
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extent the Board can legally do so and after receiving positive approval from
the Attorney General's Office.
Dr. Brandt explained that the Board had, in past years, approved
payments for Dr. Henry H. Hibbs. The State no longer allows these payments
to be made. The RPI Foundation is willing to pay Dr. Hibbs $2,500 per year
but would like the Board of Visitors to request it. On motion made and
seconded, it was approved that the RPI Foundation be requested to pay Dr.
Henry H. Hibbs $2,500 per year.
Dr. Blanton appointed a Nominating Committee composed of Mr. Dabney,
Chairman, Mr. Sheffield and Mr. Shumate to nominate three officers of the
Board and four other members of the Executive Committee for 1974-75. The
Board concurred in his appointments.
Dr. Herbert J. Burgart, Dean of the School of the Arts, thanked the
Board and administration for their continuing level of support for a professional
School of the Arts. He reported that undergraduate enrollment has remained
fairly steady for the past three years, but graduate enrollment is up 52 per-
cent over last year and graduate applications are up 150 percent over last year.
Dr. Burgart reported the many exciting activities taking place in his School.
The Board then went into Executive Session, with Dr. Brandt remaining,
during which the salaries of the provosts, vice-presidents, associate and
assistant vice-presidents, athletic department, computer center and institu-
tional research and planning were approved.
After Dr. Brandt was excused, the previously approved Minutes of
the Executive Committee, held May 29, 1974, were amended and approved
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by rewording one paragraph as follows:
There was a lengthy discussion on the recommendations of
Booz, Allen & Hamilton for the hospitals. It was agreed by
the administration and the consultants that they would work
together to come to a mutual understanding on specific
recommendations for financial management, accounting
and admitting to present to the Executive Committee. This
will be accomplished within three weeks.
and by adding the following paragraph:
With reference to the recommendations and discussions
concerning the data processing system, Booz, Allen &
Hamilton advised that they would withhold conclusions
until after the month of July during which observation of
the in-house system in operation would be carried out
against predetermined criteria.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:40 p.m.
Report of the President to the Board of Visitors
June 20, 1974
Dr. Brandt reported that a meeting was held on May 31 , 1974, with the officers
of AAUP. The two AAUP chapters had just merged into one University chapter.
It was not a special meeting, but the press and TV showed up. Mr. Charles Cox
waited until the meeting had adjourned and Dr. Brandt talked with him. It was
a good productive meeting in which promotions, salaries and tenure were dis-
cussed.
Dr. Brandt expressed appreciation for the number of Board members who parti-
cipated in commencement which went very well.
Dr. Brandt and Dr. Fleshood are currently discussing the possibilities of starting
a day-care center on the West Campus. It would be self-supporting, and there
does seem to be need for one.
VCU is negotiating with the City for two lots near the Mosque. One lot would
be for a parking deck, and the other lot would complete the quadrangle of class-
room buildings. The parking deck would contain more parking spaces than are
now in the two City lots and would be available for Mosque activities. We
have also talked with some members of City Council. There seems to be some
support on the part of City Council but not from the City Manager's office.
Last year, Dr. Temple Bayliss was denied tenure, but he did not appeal that
decision. Last November, he sent Dr. Blanton a document stating that he had
been denied tenure because of a conspiracy between Drs. Brandt and Brooke.
Recently, a lawyer from New York representing Dr. Bayliss came to see Dr.
Brandt, and Dr. Brandt referred him to the Attorney General's Office. Dr. Blanton
was also contacted by the lawyer, and he also referred him to the Attorney
General's Office. Dr. Bayliss could have taught at VCU again this year, but
he instead requested a leave of absence without pay on the understanding that
it would be his terminal year. We do not think Dr. Bayliss has any case at all.
VCU met with Virginia State some time ago on the area of continuing education
and Fort Lee. VCU has been asked to offer courses at Fort Lee, but we feel
it is more appropriate for Virginia State to do so if they are able and if they
want to. Virginia State is very interested in offering courses at Fort Lee, but
they agreed to call on us if there is something they cannot offer or do not want
to offer.
Dr. Brandt has sent invitations to several college presidents to attend a meeting
on the consortium being formed in this region. UVA and VPI have done a great
deal in continuing education for many years. The State is now asking that
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continuing education be offered regionally. However, the State has not
removed the mandate for UVA and VPI to offer courses around the state.
Therefore, there is really conflicting legislation in this area. UVA and
VPI are raising some fuss about this.
The House Appropriations Committee invited us to a meeting last week. Their
staff has made a report on peer group salary averages and cost of education
per FTE student. VCU is listed in the same peer group as Old Dominion Uni-
versity and William and Mary. VCU agreed to this peer grouping only on the
basis that all MCV Campus faculty be excluded. With regard to the cost of
education per FTE student, the State is counting appropriated monies and
institutional revenue. There is a big component of research grants in revenue
so it is not a valid base for making a comparison between institutions. It
would be better to compare appropriated monies plus tuition per FTE student.
Summer school enrollment is higher than it was last year.
The Attorney General's Office held a workshop on college law this week. It
was a very helpful conference.
We have been told that Mr. Cabell Venable is trying to work up a reverse
discrimination case involving VCU. Last year, VCU had a white male teaching
sociology on a one-year appointment, and he is being replaced by a white
female. We do not think he has a good case.
Recently, the State ADP put out a memo that attempted to negate everything the
General Assembly had tried to do last session by attempting to centralize every-
thing in State ADP. Yesterday, the State ADP issued a memo saying that higher
education is not included in the centralization.
Three ladies in EKG have filed complaints with the Civil Rights Commission.
There are about 18 women working in EKG and a man was brought in as their
supervisor. He evaluated them, and the three ladies have taken issue with
his evaluations.
The Executive Committee of the Board met on May 29, 1974, with representa-
tives from Boaz, Allen & Hamilton. Dr. Brandt has been meeting with all the
people involved in the computer conversion about twice a week since that time,
and we seem to be making good progress. The admissions process has been
postponed for about six weeks due to the vacation of one of the SEC employees.
Dr. Neal mentioned that a draft document will probably be delivered to Dr. Brandt
on June 24. So far, everything is within the deadlines that were discussed at
the Executive Committee meeting.
