MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF VISITORS
OF VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
January 17, 1980
A regular meeting of the Board of Visitors of Virginia Commonwealth University
was held on Thursday, January 17, 1980, at 9:00 a.m. in the Student Lounge of the
Lyons Building at 520 North 12th Street.
Present were Drs. Blanton, Butt, Gayle, Johnson and Nemuth; Messrs. Balfour,
Grey, Ludeman, Shumate and Wyatt; and Mesdames Bemiss, Fewell, and Satterfield.
Absent were Mr. Seaborn and Mrs. Thalhimer. Also present were Drs. Ackell, Beller,
Hall, Salley, Wilson and Woods; Messrs. Bruegman, Guerdon and Ross; Miss Cosby and
Mrs. Price.
Dr. Blanton called the meeting to order. On motion made and seconded, the
Contracts signed since the September meeting were approved subject to the adminis-
tration attempting to renegotiate the contract with the Emprie Theatre with Messrs.
Grey and Shumate abstaining.
On motion made and seconded, the following Resolution was approved:
WHEREAS, Virginia Commonwealth University is proceeding with the
construction of the capital construction project titled "Low Rise
Dormitory - Phase II" (the "Project");
WHEREAS, permanent financing of the Project will be achieved
through the issuance of revenue bonds to the Department of Housing
and Urban Development which has approved Virginia Commonwealth Uni-
versity's application for funding and which revenue bonds will be
issued upon the completion of the construction of the Project; and
WHEREAS, it will be necessary to secure temporary and interim
financing for the construction of the Project;
WHEREAS, the Board of Visitors of Virginia Commonwealth University at
its Executive Committee meeting on April 19, 1979, approved the se-
curing of an interim loan in the amount of $5,209,000 from the
Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Virginia to finance the construction
of the Project;
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of Visitors of Virginia
Commonwealth University, that the Vice President for Finance be
and is hereby authorized to secure an interim loan in an additional
amount not to exceed $190,645 (total project cost $5,399,645) from the
Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Virginia to finance the construction
of the Project, such loan to be repaid from the proceeds of the revenue
bonds which shall be issued upon the completion of the construction
of the Project.
On motion made and seconded, the following Resolution was approved:
WHEREAS, Virginia Commonwealth University has received the
necessary authorization and approval, including the approval of
the Governor of the Commonwealth, to proceed with the construction
of the capital construction project titled "Academic Campus Parking
Deck" (the "Project");
WHEREAS, permanent financing of the Project will be achieved
through the issuance of revenue bonds, which will be issued upon
the completion of the construction of the Project; and
WHEREAS, it will be necessary to secure temporary and interim
financing for the construction of the Project;
WHEREAS, the Board of Visitors of Virginia Commonwealth University
at its Executive Committee meeting on April 19, 1979, approved the
securing of an interim loan in the amount of $3,294,000 from the
Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Virginia to finance the construction
of the Project;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of Visitors of Virginia
Commonwealth University, that the Vice President for Finance be and
is hereby authorized to secure an interim loan in an additional
amount not to exceed $2,139,440 (total Project cost $5,433,440) from
the Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Virginia to finance the con-
struction of the Project, such loan to be repaid from the proceeds
of the revenue bonds which shall be issued upon the completion of
construction of the Project.
Following a discussion, on motion made and seconded, the Minutes of a
Special Meeting of the Academic Policy Committee, held November 14, 1979, and
a Regular Meeting of the Board of Visitors, held November 15, 1979, were approved
The Report of the President followed. Dr. Ackell reported on the following
items:
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1. The President has been holding meetings with the faculties of individual
schools over the past couple of months in an effort to increase communica-
tions. The feedback from these meetings has been very good.
2. The Service Awards Program for employees will be held in April this year.
The banquet, to which all members of the Board are invited, will be held
on Friday, April 18. Formal invitations will follow later. This year,
we will be honoring more than 1,000 employees during the week-long program.
3. Commencement will be held on Sunday, May 18, at 10:00 a.m. in the Richmond
Coliseum. The date has been switched from Saturday in accordance with
vention can be held in Richmond.
an agreement with the Chamber of Commerce so that the Democratic Con-
4. VCU's first televised Sun Belt Conference basketball game will be on
Sunday, January 20 at 2:30 p.m. against Georgia State. The women's
basketball team has a 6-1 record. The men's wrestling team brought
home a second place title from the Delaware State Invitational tourna-
ment.
5. Dr. Grace Harris, Associate Dean of our School of Social Work, was
nominated by the University to become an American Council on Education
fellow. Of 1,500 applicants, she is one of 70 to be interviewed.
Thirty-five fellows will be selected of the 70 interviewed.
6. During the three-week winter intersession, we offered 28 classes which
were attended by 839 students. Many of these students are full-time
students elsewhere but take a course here while they are home for the
holidays.
7. At the time of the last Board meeting, elections for the new student
government on the Academic Campus were being held. Twenty-eight students
were elected as senators by more than 2,500 students who voted. The
Executive Committee was just elected last week and regular meetings are
now being planned.
8. Our controller, Ed Mazur, has been selected as the new State Controller.
We are sorry to lose him but wish him the very best.
9. To date, we have more than $17 million in contracts and grants received
by the university. We expect to receive at least $25 million this year.
Dr. Blanton commended the administration for the publication of the Virginia
Plan in VCU Today. Dr. Ackell reported that we had received many favorable com-
ments on this issue including some from legislators.
Dr. Blanton welcomed Mr. Douglas H. Ludeman to the Board and announced that
he would be serving on both the Hospital Committee and the Property Committee.
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Dr. Blanton also announced that Mrs. FitzGerald Bemiss has agreed to serve as
Chairman of the Property Committee.
Dr. Blanton reminded the Board that, in accordance with their By-Laws, an
annual review of the President is to be held. Dr. Blanton appointed Dr. Nemuth
as Chairman of a committee to review the President along with Messrs. Grey and
Seaborn. Dr. Blanton requested that this committee be prepared to report at
the May Board meeting.
Dr. Blanton also stated that the Board had agreed to evaluate itself every
two years. He asked Mr. Shumate to serve as Chairman of this committee and asked
Mrs. Satterfield and Mr. Wyatt also to serve. This committee was also asked to
report at the May Board meeting.
Dr. Blanton reported that at the March Board meeting he would be appointing
a Nominating Committee to consider officers for 1980-81. In the meantime, it
would be necessary to hold elections to fill Mr. Bliley's unexpired term on the
Executive Committee. Mrs. FitzGerald Bemiss was nominated. On motion made and
seconded, Mrs. Bemiss was elected to the Executive Committee.
Dr. Blanton requested that all members of the Board hold Wednesday evening,
May 14, for a social function at the Blanton's home.
Dr. Ackell presented the Report on Foreign Students which was requested by
the Governor's office from the Board of Visitors. It was the consensus of the
Board that this report should be forwarded to the Governor as the Board's official
report.
Dr. Blanton reported that the Executive Committee had not met and, therefore,
did not have a report.
Mrs. Satterfield reported that the Academic Policy Committee did not have
a report to make at this time.
Page 5
Dr. Ackell reported on behalf of the Audit Committee. He indicated that a
seminar had been held for members of the Audit Committee by Peat, Marwick and
Mitchell on the role of a university audit committee. Dr. Blanton reported that
we are ahead of other state institutions in this particular area.
Mr. Grey reported for the Hospital Committee. He commended the administration
for the fine job they have done, especially Dr. Woods and Mr. Lash. He also stated
that the nurse recruitment program has been successful and we have been able to in-
crease the number of nurses in the hospital. Admissions are up 7.2 percent over
1978 and patient days are up 7.6 percent. These two items bring revenues to the
hospital. Mr. Shumate stated that Mr. Grey and his committee should be commended
for the outstanding job they have done over the past several years. On motion
made and seconded, the Report of the Hospital Committee was accepted.
Dr. Gayle reported that the Student Affairs Committee had not met, but he
would like to brief the Board on the recent Student Government elections held on
the Academic Campus. There were 2,000 plus votes cast and 28 student senators
were elected. Of these, 18 are white and 10 are black with 14 males and 14 females.
Each of the six schools on the Academic Campus elects one student senator to the
Executive Committee. The makeup of the Executive Committee is 2 black and 4 white
and 2 female and 4 male. The Student Affairs Committee of the Board will be meeting
with this group and bringing items of student activities to the entire Board. On
motion made and seconded, the Report of the Student Affairs Committee was accepted.
On motion made, seconded and approved, the Board went into executive session
to discuss certain personnel matters involving the performance of identifiable
employees or faculty of VCU, and to discuss pending litigation with our attorney,
and to discuss the condition, acquisition, and use of real property, and to discuss
Page 6
matters relating to gifts, bequests, and fund-raising activities as authorized by
section 2.1 - 344 a(1), a(2), a(6), and a(7) of the Freedom of Information Act.
The Board of Visitors reconvened in public session at 12:30 p.m. The Report
of the Legal Advisor, Faculty Appointments and Changes in Status, the Report of
Gifts, Grants and Contracts, and the Report of the Property Committee were approved
and/or accepted on motion made and seconded.
Mr. Grey reported that the Board received and discussed a report on the status
of the new MCV Hospital construction project. The Board was advised, based upon
information received from the general contractor and from consultants to the University, that the projected completion date for the project will likely be mid to
late 1981 rather than the end of 1980. The major cause for this anticipated delay
is reported to be the failure of the general contractor to meet the schedule for
the erection of the exterior precast concrete panels which, in turn, has been com-
plicated by the fact that the original supplier of precast panels has declared
bankruptcy. A new supplier has been selected by the general contractor. The
Board was also advised that sufficient contingency funds should be available from
the hospital construction budget to meet projected financial obligations related
to the project. On motion made and seconded, the report on the status of the
new hospital construction was accepted.
On motion made and seconded, the Board expressed its support of the administra-
tion in attempting to seek adjustments and corrections to VCU's operating and capital
budget through the appropriate State channels.
Since Mr. Ludeman has not taken the Oath of Office, he did not participate in
the official votes of the Board.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:40 p.m.
Executive Session
BOARD OF VISITORS MEETING
January 17, 1980
During the Executive Session of the Board of Visitors meeting held on
Thursday, January 17, 1980, the following resolution, on motion made and
seconded, was approved:
WHEREAS, Virginia Commonwealth University has received the
necessary authorization and approval, including the approval of
the Governor of the Commonwealth, to proceed with the acquisition
of the former Richmond Eye Hospital (the "Project");
WHEREAS, permanent financing of the Project will be achieved
through the issuance of revenue bonds, which will be issued as part
of the Medical College of Virginia Hospital Revenue Bonds, Series B;
WHEREAS, it will be necessary to secure temporary and interim
financing for the acquisition of the Project;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of Visitors of Virginia
Commonwealth University, that the Vice President for Finance be and
is hereby authorized to secure an interim loan in an amount not to
exceed $1,250,000 from the Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Virginia
to finance the acquisition of the Project, such loan to be repaid
from the proceeds of the revenue bonds which shall subsequently be
issued.
r,
James L. Seaborn, Jr., Secretary
Approved:
$=--Now
Wyndham B. Blanton, Jr., Recto
