The Board of Visitors discussed donations and environmental initiatives on Friday afternoon in the Rotunda during its full body meeting.
University President Teresa Sullivan discussed recent awards and donations to the University,which totaled more than $4 million. One benefactor who had only donated six cents, however, was the first focus of Sullivan’s address.
“This former U.Va. student had recently lost her job and fallen on hard times, but when she got the letter asking for pledges, she knew that she had to give something to her beloved university,” Sullivan said. “So, she reached into her purse and pulled out all her change, totaling six cents and donated it. This small act reminds us to be appreciative of the small contributions as well as the larger ones.”
The Board’s Building and Grounds Committee established a supplementary committee on sustainability, educational initiatives and community outreach. Building and Grounds committee chair Timothy Robertson told the board this new subcommittee is in keeping with the University’s environmental goals.
“The University of Virginia’s environmental strategy is to reduce total amount of nitrogen emissions by 25 percent by purchasing sustainable and local food products, and to expand the dining hall’s compost program,” Robertson said. “Through these efforts, the University hopes to reduce its carbon footprint.”
Robertson also spoke about the recent construction on the Alderman Road Residence Area and provided an update on Rotunda renovations.
“The final costs of the construction of Shannon, Lile-Maupin, and Tuttle-Dunnington … was $25 million less than initially thought,” Robertson said. “Phase One of renovations of the Rotunda, which includes historical preservation, is already complete, and Phase Two of renovations, which includes interior and exterior modifications, will be completed in the next few months.”
Fourth-year College student Blake Blaze, the student representative to the Board, also recognized the Honor Committee, Student Council and Dialogue Across Grounds.
“The Honor Council is currently dealing with the biggest change to the honor code since its creation in addition to raising awareness about the honor code and making it more accessible to first-year students,” Blaze said. “Dialogue Across Grounds talks about difficult topics, enriching the U.Va. culture in the process.”
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