MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE
BOARD OF VISITORS OF
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
January 21, 1993
A regular meeting of the Board of Visitors of Virginia Com-
monwealth University was held on Thursday, January 21, 1993, at 9
a.m. in the University Meeting Center.
Present were Messrs. Gregory (Rector), Arenstein, Framme,
Meador, Siegel, Townes, Weinberg and Whitworth; Drs. Gilmer,
Holland, Johnson and Peay; and Mesdames Epps and Teig. Drs.
Berenguer and Dombalis were absent. Also present were Drs.
Trani, Dewey, Harris, Hull, Jones, Sander, Schexnider and Wilson;
Messrs. Bruegman, Jez, Poe, Ross and Wyeth; and Mesdames
Messmer and Price; and Ms. Belches, student representative to the
Board.
The President's Report followed:
Dr. Trani introduced the following people:
Sgt. Carlton G. Edwards of the VCU Police Department re-
ceived the VCU Police Meritorious Award. On October 16,
1992, at approximately 1:00 p.m., Sergeant Carlton G. Ed-
wards was stopped at the intersection of Allen Avenue and
West Grace Street. While waiting for the traffic signal to
change, Sergeant Edwards observed an unknown male sub-
ject enter a vehicle from the passenger side which was occu-
pied by a lone female. It was then that Sergeant Edwards
heard the female begin to scream. Sergeant Edwards immedi-
ately exited the vehicle and without regard for safety,
entered the other vehicle and apprehended the male subject
and forcibly removed the subject from the vehicle. Once the
individual was in custody, a search was conducted and the
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subject was found to be in possession of a concealed butcher
knife.
Thanks to Sergeant Edwards' quick and decisive action, a
more serious situation was avoided and a dangerous criminal
was apprehended and arrested. For outstanding actions in
this incident, Sergeant Carlton G. Edwards is awarded the
VCU Police Meritorious Award for Valor.
Linda Harber and Cindy Brown received the Creativity
Achievement Award from the College and University Person-
nel Association (CUPA) during its National Convention in
Philadelphia.
This award recognizes outstanding creativity in an innovative
project in higher education human resource management
during the past fiscal year. VCU's program, "Legal Assis-
tance Alternatives for Grievance Panel Hearings," employs
second and third-year law students to assist managers with
case preparation and presentation for grievance panel hear-
ings. The law student prepares witnesses for testimony,
organizes documentation, and writes a script for management's
use at the panel hearing. This program has proven to be
very successful and managers who have used this service
seem very satisfied.
Virginia Commonwealth University's Police Department received
Virginia's sixth annual Governor's Community Crime Preven-
tion Award on September 29, 1992. This prestigious award
was presented to the Campus Police Department by Governor
L. Douglas Wilder at an awards ceremony held in Richmond.
The Governor's Award recognizes those local communities,
universities, and businesses that have distinguished them-
selves in the field of crime prevention in the Commonwealth.
The Awards Program was initiated in 1987 in an effort to
encourage the expansion of efforts to keep Virginia's commu-
nities safe from crime and illegal drugs. Five separate
categories were selected for awards - civic/professional,
business, media, crime prevention through environmental
design, and communities. This is the third year in a row
that the VCU Police has received this award. In 1990 and
1991, VCU won the award for Outstanding Crime Prevention
for Campus Communities. This past year, VCU won the
award for Crime Prevention through Environmental Design
category.
Dr. Rita P. Hull, Professor in the Department of Account-
ing, is the Administrative Associate for this semester,
Spring, 1993. Dr. Hull received a Ph.D. from Oklahoma
State University, College of Business; a Masters in account-
ing from Western Illinois University; and a B.A. in Account-
ing from Augustine College, graduating Cum Laude. Dr.
Hull has been employed at VCU since 1988.
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The Community Service Associates for the Spring, 1993,
were introduced as follows: Dr. Kijeong Jeon, Dr. E. Davis
Martin, Dr. Morton B. Gulak, Dr. Wallace Johnston and Dr.
Michael Davis.
Dr. Trani also discussed the Undergraduate Engineering
Program, gave an update on the Research Park and a summa-
ry of the Strategic Plan.
On motion made and seconded, the following items from the
Consent Agenda were approved:
Board of Visitors
^ Minutes of a Regular Meeting held November 19,
1992
Academic Policy Committee
Minutes of a Special Meeting held November 18,
1992
^ Minutes of a Meeting held November 18, 1992
Advancement Committee
^ Minutes of a Meeting held November 18, 1992
Policy on Gifts of Art to Virginia Commonwealth
University
Audit Committee
^ Minutes of a Meeting held November 19, 1992
Finance and Investment Committee
Minutes of a Meeting held November 18, 1992
Establishment of Quasi-Endowment Fund for the
School of the Arts
Health Affairs Committee
Minutes of a Meeting held November 18, 1992
Resolution Regarding Appointment of Four
Directors to Virginia Hospital Laundry, Inc.
Capital Equipment Proposal
Property Committee
Minutes of a Meeting held November 18, 1992
Lease of Space
.
• Amendment to Lease - 1128 Floyd Avenue
944 West Grace Street
• 1001 East Broad Street
• 1051 East Cary Street
Acquisition of Property - 1009-1039 West Broad
Street
Architect Selection - Virginia Biotechnology Center
VCU Research Park
Project Plans - MCV Visitors' Deck Repairs, Phase I
Student Affairs Committee
Minutes of a Meeting held November 18, 1992
Minutes of a Special Meeting held November 19,
1992
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The following items were submitted for information:
Academic Policy Committee
• Report on Graduate School Strategy Plan Workshop
^ Report on Changing Faculty Roles/Rewards Activity
Advancement Committee
• Media Relations and University Visibility
Advancement Division Reports
• Governmental Relations Report
Finance and Investment Committee
• Quarterly Investment Report for Quarter Ended
9/30/92
Governor's Tuition-Related Budget Recommendations
^ Governor's Operating Budget Recommendations
Health Affairs Committee
Hospital Finances
• Statistics - July through November 1992
• Update on Indigent Care Funding
Property Committee
Capital Development Program
^ Notification of Contract Awards
Patient and Visitors Parking
• Ambulatory Care Facility
• Capital Project Status Report, December 1992
Student Affairs Committee
^ Academic Advising/Student Retention
The Affiliation Agreement between MCV/VCU School of Medi-
cine and MCV Associated Physicians was presented. The Affiliation
Agreement is a new document, resulting from an earlier audit recom-
mendation to clarify the relationship between the University, the
School of Medicine, and MCV Associated Physicians. It covers key
issues such as financial reports, facilities, employment, equipment,
insurance, information systems, sponsored research, continuing
education and others. On motion made and seconded, the Affiliation
Agreement between MCV/VCU School of Medicine and MCV Associated
Physicians was approved.
A recommendation of an insertion to the University Faculty
Promotion and Tenure Document, Section III, C, Probationary Peri-
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ods was presented. On motion made and seconded, the revision was
approved as follows:
A tenure-eligible faculty member may request a one year extension
of the probationary period in cases where extenuating
nonprofessional circumstances could reasonably be expected to
significantly impede normal progress in professional development.
Such circumstances might include, but are not limited to,
childbirth or adoption, care of terminally ill spouse or partner,
child, or parent, or personal trauma. Application must be made
within one year of the onset of the extenuating circumstances.
Such a request, accompanied by recommendations for or against
from the department chair and the dean, must be submitted to and
approved by the appropriate Vice President. Except in
extraordinary cases, the request must be submitted to the
department chair no later than May 15 of the calendar year in
which mandatory tenure review would normally commence.
Ordinarily, such an extension of the probationary period will be
granted only once.
A review of the Bachelor of General Studies degree program was
presented. The Bachelor of General Studies degree program at Virginia
Commonwealth University was approved by the Board of Visitors in
May, 1976. The impetus to offer such a degree program came from
state and national legislation, including The Educational Amendments of
1972 to the original Higher Education Act of 1965 and PL 92-318 which
created the Continuing Higher Education Consortium to consolidate
planning in the State of Virginia.
The mission of VCU's program--to serve nontraditional adult
students whose educational development would benefit from an individ-
ualized, interdisciplinary, nontraditional approach to education--re-
mains the same as when the program began in 1976.
The BGS program has always attracted returning adults whose
needs and lifestyles are not served by the traditional programs, and who
have used the flexibility of a variety of credit options to receive
credit for prior learning. In addition, the program has attracted some
traditional aged students whose academic and career interests could not
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be met by a traditional major. Since 1980, 21 athletes, including 10
basketball players, have graduated from the program.
All Bachelor of General Studies candidates are required to define a
"focus area" that combines two or more areas of study/disciplines in
order to meet an educational goal that cannot be met by a traditional
major.
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 affected by such evaluation
including Faculty Appointments and Changes in Status including Health
Care Provider Salaries, Full and Consultative Hospital Privileges,
Financial Arrangements for Clinical Teachers, Audit Reports of
individually identified departments and/or schools, and to discuss legal
matters, active and recently resolved litigation and probable litigation
with its attorney including legal considerations relating to the Rules
and. Procedures Document Revisions, 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, and to discuss the investing of public funds, and to
discuss matters relating to gifts, bequests, and fund-raising activities
and the approval of the Named Funds Report, and to discuss matters
relating to honorary degrees and special awards as authorized by Section
2.1-344 a(1), a(3), a(7), a(8) and a(10) of the Virginia Freedom of
Information Act.
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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
Mr. Roger L. Gregory, Rector X
Mr. Richard A. Arenstein X
Dr. Thomas J. Berenguer Absent
Rev. Constantine N. Dombalis X
Mrs. Rozanne G. Epps X
Mr. Lawrence W. Framme, III X
Dr. Robert D. Gilmer X
Dr. William E. Holland X
Dr. Harry I. Johnson, Jr X
Mr. Richard L. Meador X
Dr. Clifton L. Peay Absent
Mr. Stuart C. Siegel X
Ms. Eva S. Teig X
Mr. Clarence L. Townes, Jr. X
Mr. Jay M. Weinberg X
Mr. F. Dixon Whitworth, Jr. X
VOTE:
Ayes: 14
Nays: 0
ABSENT DURING MEETING: 2
ABSENT DURING VOTING: 2
On motion made and seconded, the Board accepted the Re-
port of the President; approved the consent Agenda Action items
including Faculty Appointments and Changes in Status and other
Personnel Actions including Health Care Provider Salaries, Full and
Consultative Hospital Privileges, and the Named Funds Report; ac-
cepted the Consent Agenda Information items including the Audit
Committee Report, Health Affairs Committee's Report on Financial
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Arrangements for Clinical Teachers, and the Property's Committee
Report of matters relating to Real Estate Acquisition and/or Usage;
and accepted the Report on the Special Awards Committee and the
General Counsel's Report; and approved the Revisions to the Rules
and Procedures Document as amended.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:30 a.m.
