The Board of Visitors discussed the Capital Campaign and heard from the University Architect about possible improvements to Grounds at committee meetings held yesterday.
Board member Gordon Rainey reported on the current state of the Capital Campaign, which has raised $1.173 billion of the three billion dollars the University plans to raise by 2011.
"I did not expect us to be holding our own against that timeline, but we are," Rainey said.
According to Rainey, the University's first regional campaign kickoff, held last week in Birmingham, Ala., was a success, and the University's individual schools' campaigns are going strong.
The Curry, Law and Nursing Schools have surpassed 40 percent of their school goals, as have the Health System, the Miller Center and the College at Wise, University spokesperson Carol Wood said.
Tim Redden, senior director of corporate and foundation relations at the University, addressed the importance of seeking corporate philanthropy for the campaign from organizations that share in the University's missions.
University Architect David Neuman presented plans to the Buildings and Grounds Committee for a memorial for former BOV rector Fredric W. Scott, improvements to alleys along the Lawn and the replacement of railings along the Lawn.
The memorial and plans to repave the alleys along the Lawn will both have to be re-presented to the committee before being approved due to concerns for preserving tradition.
According to Neuman, he has plans to replace the railings along the top of the colonnade with higher railings that more closely resemble Jefferson's originals. The report was well-received by the committee, according to Brian Hogg, senior preservation planner for the Office of the University Architect.
"It is a great opportunity to change the appearance of the Lawn and recapture some of [Jefferson's] details," Hogg said.
Neuman also discussed plans to improve students' ability to easily and safely move around Grounds and decrease the demand for single occupant vehicle use on Grounds.
Faculty Senate Chair-elect Ricardo Padron reported to the Educational Policy Committee on the senate's work on the draft of the 10-Year Academic Plan.
Bill Harvey, vice president and chief officer for diversity and equity, spoke to the special committee for diversity on increases in the number of minority faculty members in the past year and plans to continue increasing those numbers by making the University a more welcoming community.
"I hope to come to you not with changes in ones and twos but tens and twenties," said Harvey.
The full Board of Visitors will meetApril 12 and 13.
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