MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF VISITORS
OF VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
September 20, 1991
A regular meeting of the Board of Visitors of Virginia Com-
monwealth University was held on Friday, September 20, 1991, at 9
a.m. in the University Meeting Center.
Present were Drs. Moore (Rector), Berenguer, Holland,
Johnson and Peay; Messrs. Arenstein, Dombalis, Ferguson, Gregory,
Meador, Siegel, Townes, Whitworth and Wurtzel; and Mesdames
Abady and Epps. Also present were Drs. Trani, Dewey, Harris,
Jones, Ruch and Wilson; Messrs. Bruegman, Kudless, Poe and Ross;
and Mrs. Price.
Dr. Moore called the meeting to order.
The Report of the President followed. Dr. Trani introduced
the following people:
ADMINISTRATION
Grace E. Harris received the Ruth Knee/Milton Wittman Award for
Lifetime Achievement in Health/Mental Health Practice during
a September 7 ceremony in Alexandria, VA. The award was
created in honor of Ruth Irelan Knee and Milton Wittman,
pioneers in social work education and practice and in public
health programs. The intent of this award is not only to
recognize and focus public attention to the work of individu-
als who have made significant contributions to the field of
health and/or mental health, but also to provide standards of
excellence to be used as models. Dr. Barbara White, Presi-
dent of NASW, told Dr. Harris, "This award recognizes your
demonstrated leadership in focusing interest in, and the
development of, training programs in the treatment and care
of the mentally disabled, and for being an outstanding role
model in your professional work in the fields of health and
mental health."
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FACULTY
Dr. Reuben W. Farley, Professor, Mathematical Sciences, has been
selected by CASE as Virginia's Professor of the Year. Dr.
Farley was selected from 18 other candidates submitted from
15 peer institutions in the Commonwealth.
Dr. Thomas T. H. Wan, Professor of Health Administration, has
been appointed by Secretary Louis Sullivan to serve on the
National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics of the Cen-
ters for Disease Control. This appointment is an indication
of the high regard nationally in which VCU's faculty in
Health Administration is held. It also supports the position
that the University the State's major, strongest and most
comprehensive center for health services research and health
policy.
Dr. Richard S. Vacca, Professor of Education, has been recognized
for his service as the American Association of School Admin-
istrators' (AASA) Scholar-in-Residence for 1990-91. Upon his
return, Dr. Vacca organized a state-wide meeting of school
divisions to begin discussions of how the concept and prac-
tices of quality strategy may translate into an operational
strategy for public school organizations. The meeting,
co-hosted by the Virginia Department of Education and the
School of Education, was held on the VCU Campus. Dr.
Vacca has a long career at VCU and his work in school law
is nationally recognized.
STAFF
Ms. Sherri Holmes works as a laboratory technician at VCU. She
was crowned Miss Richmond last April and competed for the
title of Miss Virginia 1991 in July. Ms. Holmes is a gradu-
ate of VCU.
Mr. Richard S. John, Director of Financial Information Systems, and
Mr. Ronald W. Ervin, Director of Automation, received the
1991 Cost Reduction Incentive Award from the National Asso-
ciation of College and University Business Officers and the
USX Foundation, Inc. Their winning entry was the use of
an automated system to remind departments to renew orders
for materials, such as purchase orders, maintenance agree-
ments and computer software licenses.
STUDENTS
Ms. Nancy L. Koster and Ms. Rebecca R. MacNair have been
selected as the 1991-92 Commonwealth Fellows. They are two
of eleven doctoral students chosen for this honor. The
Commonwealth Fellows program recognizes outstanding Virgin-
ia doctoral students who intend to become teaching faculty in
the humanities, the physical and social sciences, and the
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fine arts. The Fellowship includes an award of $5,000 to
assist them in their academic career.
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE BOARD
Mr. James E. Keaton is this year's student representative to the
Board of Visitors. Mr. Keaton is a commuter student from
Ashland. He is a Business/Finance major and plans to gradu-
ate in the spring of 1992. Jim has been very active in clubs
and organizations here at VCU as well as maintaining a 3.9
GPA.
Dr. Trani also announced the Mr. Ying Ruocheng, who
starred in the Beijing production of "Death of a Salesman"
(and co-directed it with Arthur Miller), has been invited to
join the Department of Theater faculty for the fall semester.
In addition to meeting master classes, he will translate and
direct a contemporary Chinese play featuring VCU stu-
dents. Mr. Ying was on campus last week as a guest, visit-
ing classes in the School of the Arts and meeting members of
the Richmond Arts Community.
The document entitled "A Focus on our Future for Metropoli
tan Richmond Virginia" was also presented. One point pre-
sented was the Regional Consensus Agenda listing priorities,
one of which was "We will be a community that provides
adequate funds for quality education."
On motion made and seconded, the following items were ap-
proved:
Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the Board of Visitors
held July 18, 1991
Minutes of a Meeting of the Hospital Committee held
July 17, 1991
Capital Expenditure Proposal
Collection Agency Bid
MCVH Physical Therapy Clinical Ladder
Proposal for Extended Probationary Period
Minutes of a Meeting of the Property Committee held
July 17, 1991
Consultant Selection: Ambulatory Care Facility -
Furnishings and Equipment
Minutes of a Meeting of the Student Affairs Committee
held July 17, 1991
Drug Free Schools and Workplace Policy
Request for Proposal - Integrated Student Information
System
Minutes of a Meeting of the Academic Policy Committee
held July 17, 1991
Minutes of a Meeting of the Advancement Committee held
July 17, 1991
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Minutes of a Meeting of the Audit Committee held July 18,
1991
The following items were submitted for information:
Finance and Investment Committee submitted the
Consolidated Annual Budget Performance Report
for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1991
Hospital Committee submitted the JCAHO Update,
PARS Update and Review of Financials for Fiscal
Year 1991 and July 1-31, 1991
Property Committee submitted the Notification of
Contract Award concerning Sheltering Arms
Renovations and Capital Project Status Report
Student Affairs Committee submitted an Update on
Undergraduate Student Assessment, NCAA Report
and New Student Orientation Report
Academic Policy Committee submitted an Update on
Undergraduate Student Assessment, The Virginia
Faculty Survey Report and VCU Honor System
Report
Advancement Committee submitted the Alumni Activities
Report - Impact on Alumni Dues on Annual Fund
and University Relations Report
The University and Hospitals Budget Initiatives were present-
ed for 1992-94. The priorities established by the Governor include:
programs related to excellence, access, affordability and account-
ability; activities which respond to the Report of the Commission on
the University of the 21st Century; activities to enhance on-campus
substance abuse prevention, education, treatment and law enforce-
ment; and creating approaches to fostering a climate of campus civil-
ity. President Trani announced that VCU's priorities will be the
following: (1.) Compensation - Salary increases are essential to
recruiting, retaining and maintaining quality faculty and staff.
(2.) Capital Outlay - The Commonwealth must fund capital construc-
tion at its colleges and universities. VCU's second highest priority
for the 1992-94 biennium must be the funding and construction of
the Medical Sciences Building on the MCV Campus. (3.) Student
Financial Aid and Tuition and Fees - One of the most significant
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results of the 1990-92 state budget cuts has been the rapid change in
the relationship between State general funds and student tuition and
fees. As costs shifted from the State to the student, tuition and
fees have risen sharply. Financial aid must be increased to help
offset the increases in student costs or access will be seriously
compromised. (4.) Program Funding - Staffing and funding associ-
ated with specific program improvements and new program initiatives
are important but must follow funding for compensation, capital
outlay and student financial aid. On motion made and seconded, the
University and Hospitals Budget Initiatives were approved with Mr.
Gregory abstaining.
The Fall enrollment report was presented. The University is
estimating a Fall 1991 headcount enrollment of 21,511 with a 1991-92
annual FTE of 17,614. Official enrollment projections filed with
SCHEV on October 1, 1990 were for the Fall 1991 headcount of
21,575 and a 1991-92 annual FTE of 17,590. For 1991-92 tuition
pricing purposes, these projections were revised downward this past
winter to 21,456 headcount and 17,581 FTEs.
Mr. Whitworth reported for the Nominating Committee. The
following were nominated for officers: Mr. Alan L. Wurtzel, Vice
Rector; Mrs. Nina F. Abady, Secretary; and the remaining members
of the Executive Committee nominated were: Dr. Thomas J.
Berenguer, Mrs. Rozanne G. Epps, Mr. Jack H. Ferguson, Dr.
William E. Holland, Mr. Richard L. Meador and Mr. Stuart C.
Siegel. Mrs. Abady declined the nomination for Secretary and Dr.
Clifton L. Peay was nominated. On motion made and seconded, Dr.
Peay was elected secretary with Dr. Peay abstaining. On motion
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made and seconded, the remaining officers and members of the execu-
tive Committee were elected.
Dr. Moore announced that he will appoint an Ad Hoc Bylaws
Committee to submit recommendations on the Bylaws to the Board
concerning expanding the role of the Hospital Committee, developing
language to make the Student Affairs Committee a permanent commit-
tee and reviewing the size and composition of the Executive Commit-
tee.
On motion made and seconded, the Board convened into
executive session to discuss certain personnel matters involving the
performance of identifiable employees or faculty of VCU, and to
discuss the evaluation of performance of departments or schools of
VCU where such matters regarding such individuals might be affect-
ed by such evaluation including Faculty Appointments and Changes
in Status, Full and Consultative Hospital Privileges, a discussion on
the Relationship with Richmond Memorial Hospital Regarding Oncolo-
gy, and Audit Reports of individually identified departments and/or
schools, and to discuss the condition, acquisition or use of real
property for public purpose or of plans for the future of a state
institution of higher education which could affect the value of
property owned or desirable for ownership by such institution includ-
ing a Status Report on the Task Force on the Real Estate Founda-
tion, a Status Report on Foundation Real Estate Activities, a report
on the Research Park and a report on the MCVAA Alumni House,
and to discuss the investing of public funds including the Investment
Consultant Services RFP Status Report, a Quarterly Investment Re-
port and the 1990-91 Fiscal Year Investment Review with the Invest-
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ment Advisor, and to discuss legal matters, active and recently
resolved litigation and probable litigation with its attorney, and to
discuss matters relating to gifts, bequests, and fund-raising activi-
ties including a Development Report, a Report on 1990-91 Total Pri-
vate Support, the NEH Challenge Grant Status Report and the ap-
proval of Naming Proposals as authorized by Section 2.1-344 a(1),
a(3), a(6), a(7) and a(8) of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
Following executive session, on motion made and seconded,
the following Resolution was approved by roll call vote:
Virginia Commonwealth University hereby certifies that, to the best
of each member's knowledge, (i) only public business matters lawfully
exempted from open meeting requirements by Virginia law were dis-
cussed in the executive session meeting to which this certification
resolution applies, and (Ii) only such public business matters as
were identified in the motion convening the executive session meeting
were heard, discussed or considered by the Board of Visitors of
Virginia Commonwealth University.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes Nays
Dr. French H. Moore, Jr. (Rector) X
Mrs. Nina F. Abady X
Mr. Richard A. Arenstein X
Dr. Thomas J. Berenguer X
Rev. Constantine N. Dombalis X
Mrs. Rozanne G. Epps X
Mr. Jack H. Ferguson X
Mr. Roger L. Gregory X
Dr. William E. Holland X
Dr. Harry I. Johnson, Jr. X
Mr. Richard L. Meador X
Dr. Clifton L. Peay X
Mr. Stuart C. Siegel X
Mr. Clarence L. Townes, Jr. X
Mr. F. Dixon Whitworth, Jr. Absent during voting
Mr. Alan L. Wurtzel X
Vote:
Ayes: 15
Nays: 0
ABSENT DURING MEETING: 0
ABSENT DURING VOTING: 1
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On motion made and seconded, the Board approved Faculty
Appointments and Changes in Status and other personnel actions,
approved Full and Consultative Hospital Privileges, approved Naming
Proposals, accepted the executive session committee reports, approved
the relationship with Richmond Memorial Hospital Regarding Oncolo-
gy (with Dr. Peay and Mr. Gregory abstaining) and accepted the
General Counsel's Report and the Report of the President.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:15 p.m.
Dr. Clifto L. Peay, ecretar
Approved:
French H. Moore, Jr., Rector
