MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE
BOARD OF VISITORS OF
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
March 18, 1993
A regular meeting of the Board of Visitors of Virginia Commonwealth
University was held on Thursday, March 18, 1993, at 9 a.m. in the
University Meeting Center.
Present were Messrs. Gregory (Rector), Framme, Meador, Siegel,
Townes, Weinberg and Whitworth; Drs. Berenguer, Dombalis, Gilmer and
Johnson; and Mesdames Epps and Teig. Drs. Holland and Peay; and Mr.
Arenstein were absent. Also present were Drs. Trani, Dewey, Harris,
Jones, Sander, Schexnider and Wilson; Messrs. Bruegman, Fischer, Jez,
Poe, Ross and Wyeth; and Mesdames Messmer and Price.
Mr. Gregory called the meeting to order. The President's Report
followed:
At a meeting of the City Council held on March 8, VCU was granted
the option of closing Linden Street to traffic. Student and
community leaders voiced support for the closing at the meeting.
The U.S. News and World Report published an article that named the
"Pace Setters in Health." VCU's School of Dentistry was number 13;
the School of Pharmacy was number 10; and the Health-Services
Administration was number 9 in their respective categories.
On Monday, April 12, 1993, at 11:00 a.m. Mikhail Gorbachev will
speak to students and faculty in the Commonwealth Ballroom located
in the University Student Commons. Board members are invited to
attend.
The men's basketball team had a record of 20-9 and were runners-up
in the Metro Conference Tournament. VCU will play ODU at the Scope
in the first rounds of the NIT.
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On Friday, March 19, a regional cooperation meeting with the City,
Henrico, and Hanover will be held to present an update on the
Research Park.
The Undergraduate Engineering Program consultants Dr. James
Woodward, Chancellor of the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte; Dr. Robert Furgason, President of Corpus Christi State
University and president-elect of the Accreditation Board for
Engineering and Technology; and Dr. Frank Franz, President of The
University of Alabama in Huntsville will visit VCU March 28 - 30.
A timetable will be brought before the Board for consideration as
part of the Long-range Plan prior to the 1994 legislative session.
VCU will look at the graduate program; however, at this time VCU
will be looking primarily at the undergraduate program.
On motion made and seconded, the following items from the Consent
Agenda were approved:
Board of Visitors
Minutes of a Special Meeting held January 20, 1993
Minutes of a Regular Meeting held January 21, 1993
Academic Policy Committee
Minutes of a Meeting held January 20, 1993
Commonwealth of Virginia Center on Drug Abuse Research
Advancement Committee
Minutes of a Meeting held January 20, 1993
Audit Committee
Minutes of a Meeting held January 21, 1993
Finance and Investment Committee
Minutes of a Meeting held January 20, 1993
Health Affairs Committee
Minutes of a Meeting held January 20, 1993
Property Committee
Minutes of a Meeting held January 20, 1993
Lease of Space - 401 East Main Street
Architect Selection-West Hospital Renovations
Special Awards Committee
Minutes of a Meeting held January 7, 1993
Student Affairs Committee
Minutes of a Meeting held January 20, 1993
The following items were submitted for information:
Academic Policy Committee
Report on Honors Program
Report on EEO/AA Program
Community and Public Affairs, Department of Urban Studies
Reaccreditation
Faculty Tenure Status
Recommendations and University Reactions to Strategic
Plan
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Advancement Committee
Long Range Plan for Alumni Activities
Advancement Division Reports
Governmental Relations Report
Finance and Investment Committee
Annual Financial Statements FY 1992
Quarterly Budget Report: December 31, 1992
Quarterly Investment Report: December 31, 1992
1993-94 Budget and Tuition/Fee Rates: Status Report and
Discussion
Health Affairs Committee
Hospital Finances
Statistics - July, 1992 through January, 1993
Update on Indigent Care Funding
Legislative Study Resolution
Contract for Advertising and Marketing Support Services
(Hospital)
Contract for Bruker Instruments (School of Medicine)
Property Committee
Notification of Contract Award - MCVH Child Care Center
Capital Project Status Report
Student Affairs Committee
Financial Aid Report
Report on Special Students
Report on Student Health
Recommendations and University Reactions to Strategic
Plan
The Establishment of the President's Evaluation Committee was
reviewed. On motion made and seconded, the Executive Committee will
serve as the Presidential Evaluation Committee.
The Six-Year Capital Plan was presented. The Governor's capital
budget is based on a six year plan. Projects requested in the 1994-96
biennium will be considered by the Governor for inclusion in the capital
budget to be submitted to the 1994 General Assembly. Two projects
deserve special attention. They are among VCU's highest priorities for
funding in 1994-96. They are the Adaptive Reuse of the State Library
Building and Recreational Facilities on the Academic Campus.
A study completed in 1992 revealed that adaptive reuse of the State
Library Building was a cost effective alternative to construction of new
facilities on the MCV Campus. The project would renovate the State
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Library Building for relocation and consolidation of the following
programs: Tompkins-McCaw Library, Allied Health Professions (excluding
the Department of Health Administration), Nursing and Administrative
office space. Nursing is presently housed in the Nursing Education
Building on Broad Street, an old, inefficient building slated for
demolition. Programs in Allied Health Professions are scattered among
eight different locations on the MCV Campus. This space is poorly
suited for instructional purposes. Relocation of the Tompkins-McCaw
Library would free up this space for other uses. The present MCV Master
Site Plan calls for construction of a new building on the McGuire Hall
site to house the School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions at a
projected cost of $22 million. The State Library Building can be
renovated for $19.5 million.
The University completed a study of student recreational and
athletic facilities needs in 1991 and initiated a three phase develop-
ment program to address priorities:
Phase I Aerobics Facility on Academic Campus
Relocation of Tennis Courts on MCV Campus
Phase II Swimming Pool on MCV Campus
Refurbish Franklin Street Gym Pool on Academic
Campus
Thalhimer Tennis Courts Support Facility
Cary Street Field Support Facility
Track Facility
Phase III Convocation/Recreation Center - The
Convocation/Recreation Center will provide space for:
Major Convocation and Assemblies
Concerts
Athletic Events
Indoor Recreation Programs
Alternative to Coliseum for Men's Basketball
Phase III is a 1994-96 project and includes construction of a Convo-
cation/Recreation Center which is a 165,000 gross square feet facili-
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ty with seating for 7,500. The projected cost is $20 million with
student fees supporting $8 million of this projected cost. The
student fees portion will be raised through a $100 increase in the
University Fee. Fifty dollars of this increase was implemented in
1992-93 with the second $50 to become effective in 1994-95.
On motion made and seconded, the Six-Year Capital Plan
was approved.
A report of a meeting of the Executive Committee held Feb-
ruary 19, 1993, was presented. The following items were dis-
cussed: Orientation, Design Information System, Increase Board's
Familiarity with National Issues, and design an annual process to
include strategic issues and determine the need and format for Board
Retreats.
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, the Semi-Annual
Quality Assurance Report and an Update on Continuous Quality Im-
provement, 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, to
discuss matters relating to gifts, bequests, and fund-raising activi-
ties and the approval of the Named Funds Report, and to discuss
matters relating to honorary degrees and special awards as authorized
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by Section 2.1-344 a(1), a(7), a(8) and a(10) 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 discussed
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 Absent
Dr. Thomas J. Berenguer X
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 Absent
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: 13
Nays: 0
ABSENT DURING MEETING: 3
ABSENT DURING VOTING: 3
On motion made and seconded, the Board accepted the Report of the
President; approved the Faculty Appointments and Changes in Status, Full
and Consultative Hospital Privileges, the Semi-Annual Quality Assurance
Report and an Update on Continuous Quality Improvement; accepted the
executive session committee reports; approved the Named Funds Report,
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and the Board of Visitors' Award selection; and accepted the Report of
the General Counsel.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:35 p.m.
