At its annual July retreat, the Board of Visitors focused on topics ranging from increasing the size of the University's undergraduate class to fully funding athletic scholarships.
Recent state projections show a burgeoning college-bound student population in the Commonwealth over the next seven years resulting in an increase of 32,000 students, University spokeswoman Louise Dudley said.
According to Dudley, the University may have to increase the student body by several thousand over the next seven years to accommodate the growing population.
But Board members expressed reluctance to increasing enrollment size any further.
Board member Terence P. Ross said it might be hard for the University to maintain its top-notch status if it increases its population.
"There is a reason why Stanford, Princeton and the California Institute for Technology all have dramatically smaller [class enrollments] than us," Ross said.
He added that there is a strong sentiment on the Board against increasing the size of the University any further.
Alexander "Sandy" Gilliam Jr., secretary to the Board, said the Commonwealth may pressure the University to increase its size even if the Board is opposed to it.
According to Gilliam, the General Assembly could pass legislation that would decrease the number of out-of-state students if the University does not increase its class size.
Gilliam said the University would not want a decrease in the size of its out-of-state student population.
The University increased its student body by about 500 students each year during the 1990s in response to requests by the Commonwealth.
The state had pledged to support the increase in students with increased money, but the funding never came, Ross said.
"We do not have the luxury to further increase our class size," Ross added.
Curriculum changes
Part of the wide-ranging topics discussed at the retreat included potentially changing required courses for undergraduate students.
Ross said although no concrete proposals have been offered, Board members and University President John T. Casteen III discussed possible changes, which could include requiring students to take at least one U.S. history course.
The Board also discussed the possibility of requiring all students to read a common set of books.
The general requirements have not changed in about a decade.
"Casteen asked why there was no requirement to read a Shakespearean play," Ross said.
Ross added that any changes to the curriculum would be discussed with faculty members and students before the changes would be proposed.
Faculty salaries
The Board also discussed funding shortfalls that have affected faculty salaries over the past two years.
Faculty members at the University were not given a general salary increase last year and will not be given a salary increase this year because of lack of funding from the state, Dudley said.
Gilliam said the Board will continue to lobby the Commonwealth for funding to increase faculty salaries but said the money likely will not be available from the state.
Currently, the University is in the 60th percentile in faculty funding nationally, he said.
One major problem created by the lack of faculty funding is the potential loss of faculty to other universities. Peer universities try to lure top faculty away with higher salary offers. But the University has access to some funding that can be used to entice faculty to stay if they already have gotten another offer.
Athletic scholarships
The University currently is authorized by the NCAA to offer 308.6 scholarships for student athletes, but currently can only fund 291.
According to Dudley, Leonard W. Sandridge, University executive vice president and chief operating officer, announced plans for the Virginia Student Aid Foundation to raise $500,000 over the next three years so the University can offer every possible scholarship.
She added that the University used to have a gap of about 50 to 60 scholarships.
The University will gain six more scholarships when it begins its women's golf program, which will begin in 2003.
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