MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE
BOARD OF VISITORS OF
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
February 9, 2006
A regular meeting of the Board of Visitors of Virginia Commonwealth University
was held on Thursday, February 9, 2006, at 9 a.m. in the Richmond Salons 1 and 2
located in the University Student Commons at 907 Floyd Avenue.
Present were Drs. Bersoff (Rector), Doswell and Shapiro; Messrs. Baldacci,
Robertson, Sherman. Siegel and Snead; and Mesdames Lambert and Rhodes. Drs.
Broaddus and Romano; and Messrs. Axselle, Jackson, Rosenthal and Thompson were
absent. Also present were Drs. Trani, Gottfredson, Hampton, Macrina, Retchin and
Rhone; Messrs. Bennett, Bunce, Ross, Timmreck and Wyeth; and Mesdames Balmer,
Messmer and Mikuta. The faculty representative, Dr. Lewis, and Ms. Bacon-Ward,
student representative, and Mr. Allen, alternate student representative, were also present.
.
The Report of the President was presented. Virginia Commonwealth University
and the VCU Health System employees contributed more than $710,000 to the combined
Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign for 2005. The 2005 total set a record for the
University and Health System's combined campaign for the second consecutive year.
The following volunteer Campaign Associates representing the departments with high
employee participation rates were introduced:
Tamara Ingram with Treasury and Foundation Services and Kevin Davenport,
Department Head;
Kathy Person, Animal Resources and Bobby Collins, Department Head;
My Guidarelli and Alan Williams with VCU Libraries and John Umschneider,
Director of VCU Libraries;
Deborah Simms in Decision Support and Patty Dilzer, Department Director;
Linda Chapman with Health Information Management and Carole Johnson
Department Director; and
Claire Costello in Food and Nutrition Services and Larry Little, Executive
Director of Support Services Administration.
The VCU 2020 Strategic Plan was presented. In two years and more than 125
meetings with Virginia Commonwealth University students, staff, faculty and
administrators, as well as community members and business leaders, VCU has reached an
amazing and exciting juncture in VCU's history: the development of VCU 2020 Vision
for Excellence. VCU's strategic vision rests upon five themes:
1. Ensuring and maintaining the highest levels of University effectiveness,
accountability and infrastructure support required to achieve the
University's mission.
2. Achieving national recognition as a learning-centered research university
that embraces a world-class student experience.
3. Assuring continued international recognition for VCU's research,
scholarship and creative expression.
4. Achieving preeminence for VCU's academic medical center.
5. Maintaining VCU as a model for University-community partnership.
On motion made and seconded, the Board approved of the adoption of the VCU 2020
Strategic Plan, with the requirement that the Provost and Vice President for Academic
Affairs and the Chief Executive Officer of the VCU Health System and Vice President
for Health Sciences report two times a year to the Academic and Health Affairs Policy
Committee on the implementation of the VCU 2020 Strategic Plan.
An update on Budget was presented for information. A handout on VCU's
International Agenda, that was discussed at the dinner meeting held Wednesday,
February 8, 2006, was distributed and discussed. A brochure highlighting the past ten
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years of the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park, A Decade of Building, was
distributed to the Board.
Dr. Shapiro reported for the Academic and Health Affairs Policy Committee. The
Proposal to create a Dual-Degree Program: the M.S.W. - M.P.H. Degree in Social Work
and Public Health was presented. Prospective students will be required to apply to both
programs independently, meet both sets of admission requirements but pay only one
application fee to the School of Graduate Studies. Students will be required to complete
a minimum of 78 semester credits leading to both degrees. In Social Work, dual-degree
students will complete all thirty (30) M.S.W. foundation credits and 15 of the 30 M.S.W.
concentration credits. Fifteen credits in either the clinical or social work administration,
planning and policy practice concentration will be satisfied by public health courses. In
Public Health, dual-degree students will complete a minimum of thirty-three (33) credits
of the 45 required credits. Any student wanting a specific M.P.H. track, such as
epidemiology, environmental health or addiction studies, will be required to take some
additional track-specific courses. The Academic and Health Affairs Policy Committee
recommended to the full Board the approval of the proposal to create a Dual-Degree
Program: the M.S.W. - M.P.H. Degree in Social Work and Public Health.
The Proposal to offer an Executive M.B.A. (EMBA) Program in Cairo, Egypt was
presented. The Executive M.B.A. program in Cairo is an off-campus extension of the
current VCU Executive M.B.A. Program. The difference between the EMBA program
and the regular M.B.A. program is that applicants to the EMBA Program must have six
(6) years of experience, while students can enter the M.B.A. program with an appropriate
bachelors degree but without any experience in business. The EMBA program in Cairo,
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Egypt will be identical in course content, faculty quality, student admission requirements,
learning objectives, assessment, and grading as the EMBA program currently offered on
VCU's Monroe Park Campus. Students who successfully complete program
requirements will earn a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree from VCU.
The Academic and Health Affairs Policy Committee will review the program after the
initial three year period. The Academic and Health Affairs Policy Committee
recommended to the full Board the approval of the Proposal to offer an Executive M.B.A.
Program in Cairo, Egypt.
The Proposal to Rename the Department of Marketing and Business Law to the
Department of Marketing was presented. Since the Department of Marketing and
Business Law no longer describes the courses or programs the department offers, the
School of Business requests the change in name to the Department of Marketing. The
Academic and Health Affairs Policy Committee recommended to the full Board the
Proposal to Rename the Department of Marketing and Business Law to the Department
of Marketing.
The Proposal to Create an O.T.D. Degree in Occupational Therapy was presented.
The proposed Occupational Therapy Doctorate (O.T.D.) degree is a professional
doctorate in occupational therapy. The program builds on existing practice skills, and is
designed to move the occupational therapy professional into advanced practice arenas
related to leadership. In the program, the leadership emphasis will encompass policy-
making, proposal writing, advanced critical thinking and the promotion of evidence bases
for practice. The Academic and Health Affairs Policy Committee recommended to the
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full Board the approval of the Proposal to Create an O.T.D. Degree in Occupational
Therapy.
The Proposal to Create three B.F.A. Degree Programs to replace the B.F.A.
Program in Communication Arts and Design, and to create three new departments to
replace the Department of Communication Arts and Design: Communication Arts,
Graphic Design, and Kinetic Imaging was presented. The objective is to formalize the de
facto separation of the three areas to enhance recruitment, retention, and the national
profile of each unit. The Academic and Health Affairs Policy Committee recommended
to the full Board the approval of the Proposal to Create three B.F.A. degree programs to
replace the B.F.A. program in Communication Arts and Design, and to create three new
departments to replace the Department of Communication Arts and Design:
Communication Arts, Graphic Design and Kinetic Imaging.
The Proposal to Establish New Departments in Qatar: Fashion Design, Graphic
Design, and Interior Design was presented. VCU School of the Arts in Qatar requests
approval to change the current organization structure as follows: The Communication
Arts and Design Program would become the Department of Graphic Design in Qatar; the
Fashion Design Program would become the Department of Fashion Design in Qatar; and
the Interior Design Program would become the Department of Interior Design in Qatar.
The Academic and Health Affairs Policy Committee recommended to the full Board the
approval of the Proposal to Establish New Departments in Qatar: Fashion Design,
Graphic Design and Interior Design.
The Proposal to Create an M.S.A.T. Degree in Athletic Training was presented.
The School of Education proposes to initiate a Master of Science in Athletic Training
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(M.S.A.T.) degree program, effective Summer 2006. The program is a 65-credit, entry-
level professional degree which will enroll 10-12 new students each year. Athletic
training currently is an undergraduate degree option in the Department of Exercise
Science. National employment trends have shown a preference for graduate education in
the field. Approximately 47% of jobs posted on the NATA Career Center listed a
masters degree as required or preferred, and employers have expressed a preference for
more mature individuals as athletic trainers. The Academic and Health Affairs Policy
Committee recommended to the full Board the approval for the Proposal to Create an
M.S.A.T. Degree in Athletic Training.
The Proposal to Create an M.S. Degree in Medical Physics was presented. The
establishment of the M.S. program will leverage existing infrastructure developed for the
Ph.D. program in medical physics, which is administered by the Department of Physics in
the College of Humanities and Sciences, in conjunction with the Department of
Radiology and Department of Radiation Oncology in the School of Medicine. The
proposed M.S. program in medical physics will address the critical shortage of
appropriately educated medical physicists needed to support the delivery of radiation
therapy and other radiation medicine services within the state and nationally. The
Academic and Health Affairs Policy Committee recommended to the full Board the
approval of the Proposal to Create an M.S. Degree in Medical Physics.
The Faculty Bonus Award Policy was presented. The amended Faculty Bonus
Award Policy was revised to clarify language in the policy and provide the approval of
individual exceptions to the policy by the President. The Academic and Health Affairs
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Policy Committee recommended to the full Board the approval of the amended Faculty
Bonus Award Policy.
The Health Insurance Policy for Medical Students and a Request for Proposals
were presented. The policy is to establish the requirement for health insurance for
medical students that is required by other medical schools in the Commonwealth of
Virginia. The purpose of the Request for Proposals is to establish a contract with a
student health insurance company to provide a comprehensive and cost effective health
and dental insurance plan for VCU students. The Academic and Health Affairs Policy
Committee recommended to the full Board the approval of the Health Insurance Policy
for Medical Students and the Request for Proposals.
The following items were presented for information: the Virginia Commonwealth
University Health System Financial Statement Summary Fiscal Year 2006 - Six Months
Ending December 31, 2005 and the Report of the Provost and Vice President for
Academic Affairs, including a report on the Higher Education Restructuring Act:
Institutional Performance Standards.
Dr. Doswell reported for the Audit Committee. Mr. Walter J. Kucharski, State
Auditor of Public Accounts, presented the external audit report for the fiscal year ended
June 30, 2005. Mr. Kucharski reported that the financial statements are fairly presented
in all material respects; there were no material weaknesses in the University's control
system; and there were no instances of noncompliance that were required to be reported
under Government Auditing Standards. The report contained two recommendations to
strengthen the University's control procedures and management presented to the
Committee the business plans to address the state auditor's recommendations.
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Mr. Robertson reported for the External Relations Committee. The following items
were presented for information: the Government Relations and Health Policy Report, the
Marketing and Media Relations Report and the Advancement Division Reports.
Mrs. Rhodes reported for the Finance, Investment and Property Committee. The
Request for Proposals for the MCV Campus Housekeeping Services was presented.
VCU is seeking proposals from contractors to provide full custodial services in 24
buildings representing 1,501,176 square feet on the MCV Campus. All University
housekeeping services are privatized for academic, research, and medical facilities. The
Finance, Investment and Property Committee recommended to the full Board the
approval of the Request for Proposals for the MCV Campus Housekeeping Services.
Project Plans for the Student Dental Simulation Laboratory and the Mannequin
Simulation Laboratory were presented. The project is comprised of two separate
laboratory renovations and incorporates the latest instructional technologies for the dental
profession. In the Student Dental Simulation Laboratory, patient treatment is simulated
with computer-aided technology to give students the opportunity to make the transition
from instructional simulation to human interaction. In the Mannequin Simulation
Laboratory, students will learn to create and adjust dental prosthetic devices using
mannequins before attempting actual patient interaction. The construction budget for the
dental simulation laboratory is $50,000, with a total budget of $2,193,723. The
construction budget for the Mannequin Simulation Laboratory is $480,000, with a total
budget of $3,537,190. The Finance, Investment and Property Committee recommended
to the full Board the approval of the Project Plans for the Student Dental Simulation
Laboratory and the Mannequin Simulation Laboratory.
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Project Plans for the Sanger Hall Lab Renovations, Project 3: Third Floor
Laboratory Renovation was presented. The project will transform 15,082 GSF of
antiquated laboratory space into a state-of-the-art research laboratory. The project will
bring together faculty from the Departments of Physiology and Biophysics and Internal
Medicine's Division of Cardiology. The collaborative research team will develop
innovative methods to effectively repair damaged and diseased cardiac tissue at cellular,
genetic, and molecular levels. The construction budget for the project is $2,760,000, with
a total budget of $4,455,306. The Finance, Investment and Property Committee
recommended to the full Board the approval of the Project Plans for the Sanger Hall Lab
Renovations, Project 3: Third Floor Laboratory Renovation.
The 2006-08 Budget Update was presented for information. Also, a PowerPoint
presentation detailing the Capital Projects was presented. The following additional items
were presented for information:
Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Financial Statement Summary
Fiscal Year 2006 - Six Months Ending December 31, 2005
University Quarterly Budget Performance Report: December 31, 2005
Foundation Annual Reports
a. MCV Foundation
b. VCU Intellectual Property Foundation
c. VCU Alumni Association
d. MCV Alumni Association
Virginia Biotechnology Research Park Authority Summary of Actual and Planned
Occupancy
Notification of Contract Awards
a. Sanger Hall Lab Renovations Project 2: Building Systems
Improvements
b. VCU Renovation Projects Construction Management Services
c. School of Engineering/School of Business Construction Management
at Risk Contract
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On motion made and seconded, the Board approved the following Consent
Agenda Action Items as to include an approval of the issuance of a Request for Proposals
for the Student Health Insurance Plan:
Board of Visitors
Minutes of a Meeting held November 17, 2005
Academic and Health Affairs Policy Committee
Minutes of a Meeting held November 16, 2005
Proposal to Offer an Executive M.B.A. Program in Cairo, Egypt
Proposal to Rename the Department of Marketing and Business Law to
the Department of Marketing
Proposal to Create an O.T.D. Degree in Occupational Therapy
Proposal to Create Three B.F.A. Degree Programs to Replace the B.F.A.
Program in Communication Arts and Design, and to Create Three New
Departments to Replace the Department of Communication Arts
and Design: Communication Arts, Graphic Design, and Kinetic
Imaging
Proposal to Establish New Departments in Qatar: Fashion Design, Graphic
Design, and Interior Design
Proposal to Create an M.S.A.T. Degree in Athletic Training
Proposal to Create an M.S. Degree in Medical Physics
Proposal to Create a Dual-Degree Program: M.S.W. - M.P.H. Degree in
Social Work and Public Health
Faculty Bonus Award Policy
Health Insurance Policy for Medical Students
Audit Committee
Minutes of a Meeting held November 17, 2005
External Relations
Minutes of a Meeting held November 16, 2005
Finance, Investment and Property Committee
Minutes of the Finance, Investment and Property Committee held
November 16, 2005
Request for Proposals for MCV Campus Housekeeping Services
Project Plans for Dental Simulation Laboratory and Mannequin Simulation
Laboratory
Projects Plans for the Sanger Hall Lab Renovations Project 3: Third Floor
Research Lab Renovation
Dr. Bersoff appointed the following Board members to serve on the Board
Nominating Committee for Rector: Mr. Axselle (chair), Ms. Rhodes, Mr. Rosenthal, Mr.
Sherman and Mr. Thompson.
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On motion made and seconded, the Board convened into closed session to discuss
certain personnel matters and matters relating to the performance of identifiable
employees and faculty of VCU and to discuss the performance of departments or schools
of VCU where such matters regarding such individuals might be affected by such
evaluations including the Faculty Appointments and Changes in Status and other
Personnel Actions; to discuss the acquisition or use of real property for public purpose, or
of the disposition of publicly held property, 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 including the acquisition of property on or adjacent to the
Monroe Park Campus Addition and the sale of property on or adjacent to the MCV
Campus; and to consult with legal counsel pertaining to actual and probable litigation,
and other specific legal matters requiring the provision of legal advice by counsel,
including the Report of the General Counsel; to discuss matters relating to gifts, bequests,
and fundraising activities and grants and contracts for services or work to be performed
by such institution, including the approval of the Named Funds Report and Facility
Naming Recommendations, and an update on the development activities, and to discuss
matters relating to honorary degrees and special awards, including the Report of the
Student Affairs Committee as authorized by Section 2.2-3711 A(1), A(3), A(6), A(7),
A(8) and A(10) of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
Following closed 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 closed session meeting to which this
certification resolution applies, and (ii) only such public business matters as were
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identified in the motion convening the closed session meeting were heard, discussed or
considered by the Board of Visitors of Virginia Commonwealth University.
Roll Call Vote Ayes Nays
Dr. Edward H. Bersoff, Rector X
Mr. Ralph L. "Bill" Axselle, Jr. Absent
Mr. David G. Baldacci X
Dr. J. Alfred Broaddus, Jr. Absent
Dr. John C. Doswell II X
Mr. Brian K. Jackson Absent
Ms. Lillian L. Lambert X
Mrs. Anne J. G. "Panny" Rhodes X
Mr. Richard T. Robertson X
Dr. Michele A. Romano Absent
Mr. Thomas G. Rosenthal Absent
Dr. Carol S. Shapiro X
Mr. John Sherman, Jr. X
Mr. Stuart C. Siegel X
Mr. Thomas G. Snead, Jr. X
Mr. Philip Thompson, Sr. Absent
Vote:
Ayes: 10
Nays: 0
ABSENT DURING MEETING: 6
ABSENT DURING VOTING: 6
On motion made and seconded, the Board accepted the Report of the President;
approved the Faculty Appointments and Changes in Status and other personnel actions as
amended; approved the Named Funds Report and Facility Naming Recommendations;
approved the Acquisition of Property Adjacent to the Monroe Park Campus Addition;
concurred with the Sale of Property Adjacent to the MCV Campus; accepted the Closed
Session Committee Reports; accepted the Report of the General Counsel and approved
the Recommendations of the Student Affairs Committee as amended.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:15 a.m.
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