The Board of Visitors continued its April session into Friday with discussion on the University's intellectual property policy, faculty diversity, alumni relations improvement efforts and various student issues.
Committee presentations to the Board continued on Friday, beginning with the Educational Policy Committee's report.
Ariel Gomez, vice president for research and graduate studies, presented the Committee's evaluation that focused primarily on intellectual property and "technology transfer" issues.
Gomez discussed the University's intellectual property rights to products that develop through University research. Gomez described this as integral to the procurement of funds and a vital learning experience for students.
"There are more than 30 start-up companies both here and elsewhere ... that got their start up at the University," said Erik Hewlett, senior associate dean for research in the Medical School. "We are looking for ways to expand this further. ... The one thing that we have been missing is available venture capital."
Hewlett outlined ways in which the University is helping to facilitate research, including the development of the Angel fund -- a pool of money which would serve to fund professors doing research before they receive an actual grant. Hewlett also emphasized the importance of the University's patent office and the division of product profits to departmental programs.
Patricia Lampkin, vice president for student affairs, later addressed University student activities such as student safety, ISIS and voter participation in student elections.
"The transition in student leadership began earlier this year," she said. "With the exception of Student Council and Resident Life, all the new leaders have assumed office for the 2006-2007 year. This increase shows the strength of students to run student office."
Board members also questioned the low voter turnout among third and fourth years. Lampkin cited "quieter than usual Student Council races" as a possible reason for this decline.
Former Honor Chair David Hobbs outlined the Honor Committee's actions during the year. Hobbs highlighted the Committee's change in the Honor constitution's wording from "serious" to "non-trivial," as well as continued efforts to increase diversity within the Honor Committee.
Addressing the University's broader efforts to increase diversity, Chief Diversity Officer Bill Harvey outlined the Special Committee on Diversity's strategies to increase faculty diversity at the University.
Harvey presented the Board with an evaluation of tenure and tenure-tracked faculty at the University. Out of 1020 individuals, 29 are African-American, or about 2.5 percent.
"That's obviously a much lower number than we'd like," Harvey said.
Harvey noted, however, that because this is an evaluation of tenured faculty, many of the individuals have been at the University for 20-30 years, and this data "speaks to past patterns of hiring and promotion, and is contrasted with non-tenured faculty."
Harvey added that in recent years the University has had greater success in hiring and retaining a more diverse faculty.
The External Affairs Committee concluded the committee reports, introducing the new president and chief executive officer of the alumni association, Tomas Faulders, and citing the need for an increased marketing campaign directed at alumni.
University President John T. Casteen, III, rejoined Committee members on Saturday to give his closing remarks. Board members subsequently joined Casteen to break ground at the future location of the University's new nursing center. The Board met for the final time this month Saturday afternoon.
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