As a premier public institution, the University is exploring ways to share its intellectual knowledge and resources with the surrounding community.
The Virginia 2020 Public Service and Outreach Commission presented its report in a Faculty Senate-sponsored forum Friday afternoon, where an attentive group of 40 faculty, staff and students offered their opinions and recommendations for changes they would like to see made to the document.
University President John T. Casteen III established the Virginia 2020 Commission in 1998 to examine where the University wants to be in 20 years. The Public Service and Outreach Commission is a subset of the 2020 Commission and focused on the University's relationship with the community.
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The forum is the first in a four-part series organized by Faculty Senate Chairwoman Patricia H. Werhane evaluating the reports of the Virginia 2020 Commission. The remaining three forums will take place this week and are open to the public.
Commission Chairwoman Rebecca Kneedler said the report primarily focuses on "taking professional expertise to the community."
The commission stressed local, regional and state-level outreach efforts, citing the University's commitment to the Commonwealth as a public institution.
"Members of the commission were very eager to look at global and international public service and outreach," Kneedler said. "But we wanted to make sure we weren't overlooking local, regional and state-wide opportunities."
The commission found that while much room for further outreach initiatives exists, the University currently does quite a bit of public service that goes unnoticed.
Kneedler said although the University does a significant amount of outreach on an individual level, it "does not have a way for responding as an institution to community needs."
Several faculty members expressed concern about creating a complex system for providing such outreach, questioning whether University funds would be better spent elsewhere.
History Dept. Chairman Michael F. Holt cited the Science and Technology Commission report, which recommends a large increase in science faculty to improve its programs.
"To reach the top 10 [in the U.S. News & World Report rankings], is the money better spent to hire science faculty or on public service?" Holt said.
Kneedler said many of the University's peer institutions, including Harvard and Yale, do offer similarly expansive outreach programs.
She also added that while many private universities offer excellent models, as a public institution, the University should strive even higher.
"We have some obligations that an Ivy League school does not have to its state," Kneedler said.
Several faculty members also expressed concern with a passage in the commission report that discusses using public service in a faculty member's evaluation. The passage allows for public service to be the primary activity evaluated, rather than other activities faculty may be involved in.
"Don't you think it's dangerous to say faculty teaching will be considered of secondary importance to public service in evaluating?" Holt asked the group.
Holt added such language could have a negative impact on the legislature's view of the University.
Madison House Executive Director Cindy Fredrick voiced the fears of many Madison House undergraduate program directors.
Fredrick stressed the importance of collaborating new outreach efforts with those the University already has in place.
"The students are concerned that they aren't the lost folks," Fredrick said. "We want to coordinate programs so we can enhance the volunteering going on now."
Kneedler assured students that one of the commission's "primary recommendations is increased support of Madison House and other volunteer organizations"
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