MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF VISITORS
OF VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
July 18, 1974
A regular meeting of the Board of Visitors of Virginia Commonwealth
University was held on Thursday, July 18 , 1974, at 9:00 a.m. in the
President's Dining Room.
Present were Drs. Blanton and Gwathmey; Messrs. Dabney, McGehee,
Norris, Obenshain, Scott, Seaborn and Taylor, and Mesdames Satterfield,
Stone and Thalhimer. Messrs. Morgan, Sheffield and Shumate were absent.
Also present were Drs. Brandt, Brooke, Neal, Willett, Wilson and Woods;
Messrs. Edwards, Holmes, Imirie and Temple, and Miss Cosby.
Dr. Blanton called the meeting to order and welcomed Mrs. Satterfield,
Mr. Taylor and Mrs. Thalhimer to the Board.
On Page 1 of the Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the Board, held on
June 20, 1974, a phrase was inserted in the fourth paragraph which will read:
'Dr. Blanton reported that the Hospital Quality Assurance Committee had not
met as scheduled because the material for the committee's consideration at
the meeting was not ready, but the committee will meet prior to the next
Board meeting." On motion made and seconded, the minutes as amended of
a Regular Meeting of the Board of Visitors, held on June 20, 1974, and the
minutes of a Special Meeting of the Finance Committee, held on June 19,
1974, were approved unanimously.
Page 2
Dr. Blanton then reported on the meeting of the Hospital Quality
Assurance Committee on July 18, 1974, and reviewed in detail the audit as
presented for the hospital staff by Dr. Jones on the subject of antrectomy
and vagotomy of a duodenal ulcer. The committee noted the findings and
approved of the actions taken. The committee also reviewed the activities
of the utilization committee of the hospital and appreciated the need for
additional extended care facilities. Dr. Blanton stated that the hospital has
been awarded accreditation for the normal two-year period, based on the
evaluation of this past spring. Certain needs were listed in the evaluation
report and the committee discussed those needs. One suggestion in the
evaluation report was that the Board of Visitors again review its By-Laws.
Mr. Imirie has been asked to do this. Dr. Blanton then explained the function
of the Hospital Quality Assurance Committee for the new members of the Board.
It is a formal procedure by which the Board assures that quality services are
provided by the Hospital.
Following the report of the President, Dr. Brandt reported on the
progress of the hospital accounting system, the computer conversion and
certain problems in obtaining the agreement of Booz, Allen & Hamilton to
test criteria. Dr. Brandt reported his dissatisfaction with the Booz, Allen
& Hamilton follow-up to the May 29 Executive Committee meeting. He
expressed the opinion that the report of Booz, Allen goes beyond the agree-
ments of that meeting and, in his opinion, would be detrimental to the
hospital and university as a whole. The Board then went into executive
session. Following the executive session, an August meeting of the Board
Page 3
was announced, and the Board requested the scheduling of two Executive
Committee meetings for the week of July 22.
Dr. Brandt reviewed the search for space for several administrative
offices to be located between the two campuses. He stated his belief that
it is difficult for a person located on one campus to serve both campuses
because that person becomes identified with one campus. Dr. Blanton
suggested that the Property Committee discuss the philosophical question
of moving the President's office and other administrative offices to a location
between the two campuses.
The Nominating Committee (Mr. Dabney, Mr. Sheffield and Mr.
Shumate) submitted the following nominations for officers of the Board of
Visitors for 1974-75: Rector - Dr. Wyndham B. Blanton, Jr.; Vice-Rector -
Mr. S. Buford Scott; Secretary - Mr. Richard D. Obenshain. On motion
made and seconded, the officers were elected unanimously. The Nominating
Committee then proposed nominations for members of the Executive Committee,
as follows: Dr. Blanton, Mr. Scott, Mr. Obenshain, Mr. Virginius Dabney,
Dr. Owen Gwathmey, Mr. James E. Sheffield and Mr. Stuart Shumate. On
motion made and seconded, the members of the Executive Committee were
elected unanimously.
The proposed Educational and General Budget for 1974-75 was pre-
sented by Mr. McGehee and Mr. Holmes. Following discussion, on motion
made and seconded, the proposed budget was approved unanimously.
It was moved, seconded and approved that the report of Gifts, Grants
and Contracts be adopted.
Page 4
Following discussion, on motion made and seconded, the Faculty
Appointments and Changes in Status were approved unanimously.
On motion made and seconded, the following resolution was adopted
unanimously:
WHEREAS, John B. Foote of Richmond died on January 1,
1974, and United Virginia Bank qualified as the Executor of
his estate on February 7, 1974, and
WHEREAS, by Article IV of his will the residuary estate
of John B. Foote was left to Medical College of Virginia,
Health Sciences Division, Virginia Commonwealth University,
to be used for research in cardiovascular diseases; and
WHEREAS, Virginia Commonwealth University is desirous
of having the said bequest managed and administered by the
Medical College of Virginia Foundation for research in cardio-
vascular diseases in the Medical College of Virginia, Health
Sciences Division;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Virginia Common-
wealth University does hereby authorize its proper officers
in its name and behalf to execute any and all instruments
requisite or proper to assign, transfer and set over unto the
Medical College of Virginia Foundation all its right, title
and interest in and to any portion of the Estate of the said
John B. Foote to be held and administered by it for research
in cardiovascular diseases by Medical College of Virginia,
Health Sciences Division, Virginia Commonwealth University,
as provided in said will.
Dr. Daniel T. Watts, Dean of the School of Basic Sciences, reported
on the growth of the School. He stated that it has begun to level off in
terms of enrollment, but he hopes that the quality of the programs can be
improved.
Mr. Dabney inquired of the University's plans for the building
which houses the MCV Alumni Association. There are no plans to do anythin
Page 5
with that facility, a fact which has been reported to the MCV Alumni Asso-
ciation on several occasions.
Mr. Scott asked if there were any plans to honor the Board members
whose terms had expired and who were not reappointed to the Board. Dr.
Brandt has asked Mr. Temple to check into a proper award, such as a plaque,
which could be given to Board members when they leave the Board.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:10 p.m.
APPROVED:
Report of the President to the Board of Visitors
Dr. Brandt stated that the past month had been fairly quiet. He attended a
conference in Athens, Georgia, on public service and extension of continuing
education with Dr. Sparks. Because of the leveling of enrollments, people
are looking at continuing education as a new student body. Across the
country, there is a majority of part-time students.
The General Professional Advisory Committee met a couple of weeks ago.
All the colleges and universities in the state are watching the various power
structures such as the Virginia Legislative and Audit Review Committee which
is presently reviewing the community college system. The Appropriations
Committee has developed a fair staff of its own, and they are checking into
higher education. The Hopkins Commission is examining various aspects of
government, particularly computers.
There is some concern about the use of peer group averages for faculty
salaries. The State Division of Personnel asked the colleges and universities
to put all the State institutions into three or four peer groupings. The West
Campus of VCU was classified with Old Dominion and William and Mary.
The salary average was not to include Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy and
Allied Health Professions. However, the State did not separate these
schools out of the salary averages. With those schools included in the
average, we are not comparable with ODU and W&M. The State institutions
need to redo the peer group averages. There should be competitive salaries.
The Summer Orientation, Advising and Registration (SOAR) Program has been
going very well this summer. We bring in new students and their parents
for about a day and give them individual academic advising, as well as
letting them see the environment of the school.
A directive recently came out of the Governor's Office that all computers
should be consolidated. Another memo followed that one which said educa-
tional institutions were excluded from that. We have a request in for a
larger computer, and there was some attempt to get us together with the
community colleges on computers. There would not be any financial benefit
to combining us with the community colleges. The State is working on
computer consolidation with some of the other state agencies, but there
will probably not be any drastic changes made in the educational institu-
tions at this time.
The first meeting of the capitol consortium was held on July 15. By-laws
of the consortium will be written in order to get it moving.
