University Rector Gordon F. Rainey, Jr. assigned members of the Board of Visitors to committees and chair positions April 18.
The Board's eight standing committees and two special committees have oversight responsibility concerning various aspects of University governance, including finance, buildings and grounds, diversity and student affairs and athletics.
The Rector makes committee and chair assignments every year.
"I think one of the most important responsibilities of the Rector is to set the agenda in such a way as to engage the interests and talents of the entire Board and, by assigning members to committees in which they have expressed the strongest interest, I hope that objective will be achieved," Rainey said.
In making his appointments, Rainey said he spoke with all members individually to gauge areas of interest and expertise.
"I did survey the entire Board and I believe I am correct in saying every member of the Board has been assigned to the committee or committees to which that member expressed the strongest interest," he said.
Although there are no limits on the number of committees a Board member can sit on, most members divide their time between three or four, Secretary to the Board Alexander "Sandy" Gilliam, Jr. said.
Placing Board members on committees that allow them to make use of their skills is the best way to ensure that the University gets the greatest benefit from the Board, Rainey added.
According to Gilliam, the Board currently is making attempts to improve meeting efficiency by shifting more discussion and debate from full-Board meetings to individual committee meetings.
This will place increased responsibility on committee chairs, Gilliam said.
Committee chairs play a significant role determining what is scheduled for, and covered, in meetings.
In most cases, newly appointed chairs already have experience in the committees, either as members or as previous chairs.
"A lot of these committees are dealing with a range of very complex issues and so continuity is important," Rainey said.
In order to maintain continuity and to give new members time to get up to speed on committee issues, no newly appointed Board members have been assigned chair positions.
"From the perspective of the new members, it's a little overwhelming at first and to have a year to kind of get their feet on the ground is a good thing," Rainey said.
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