The Board of Visitors will convene for its fall meeting this Thursday and Friday.
The Board’s eight committees will meet over the next two days to plan, review and discuss issues from science and technology investment to sustainability to Rotunda renovations. The Cavalier Daily has highlighted the four most important things for students to watch.
The University’s “wish list”
The Finance Committee will review amendments to the 2016-18 budget before submitting funding requests to the governor’s office for approval.
The amendments must be approved by Gov. Terry McAuliffe before they are presented to the General Assembly.
The asks are more of a “wish list,” University President Teresa Sullivan said. The governor does not have to agree to any of the requests.
The requests for funding include an increase of nearly $11 million in enrollment growth, more than $47 million in building research capacity and nearly $13 million in security enhancement programs, among other requests.
Security enhancement funding would be used primarily for IT, to harden the University against further attacks such as the hack that took place over the summer, Sullivan said.
The Rotunda and Final Exercises 2016: An open question
The Building and Grounds committee will hear an update on the status of construction projects around Grounds, including the Rotunda renovation.
Rotunda construction is scheduled for completion by July 2016 and not by final exercises, according to a University major projects status report updated in August.
The exterior should still be ready for Final Exercises, though construction was delayed after workers hit a vein of granite.
The project deadline was always Summer 2016, with the hope that it could be done before Final Exercises, Sullivan said. Completion in time for graduation activities was “never promised,” she said.
Accountability for science and tech investments
The Audit, Compliance and Risk Committee will review a report from a state auditor that looked into the University’s finances.
The report, though largely positive, highlighted a few issues for the committee to address, including a recommendation that the University, “establish quantifiable metrics or benchmarks associated with the University’s investment in STEM.”
The University’s investments in science and technology include faculty hiring in these subject areas, renovation of labs and purchasing new equipment, Sullivan said. Though the University is taking steps to address the report, she said defining a successful outcome is difficult.
“Lots of physics and math majors in recent years have taken jobs on Wall Street,” she said. “Does that count as a failure or does that count as a success? We’ll have to think about that.”
A different board
The Board, attempting to streamline its structure, has restructured to include fewer committees, which will meet one at a time so that each board member can attend every meeting. Previously, two committees met at a time.
The executive committee, comprised of the rector of the University, the vice rector and five elected members of the Board, will receive specific assignments relating to governance, advocacy and diversity and inclusion.
This is a significant change in structure, Sullivan said. The Board has also implemented a structure for crisis communications, “which I hope they never use,” Sullivan said.
The Advancement, Academic and Student Life and Executive Committees as well as the Medical Center Operating Board and the Committee on U.Va. at Wise will also meet over the course of the next two days.
Read More
Honor Committee considers formal ban of AI detectors as evidence in trials
By Lexie Stadler | 12 hours agoThe Committee also addressed balancing student perspectives with those of Committee representatives during panel discussions.
Pro-Palestinian protesters form encampment near University Chapel
By CD News Staff | 13 hours agoThe encampment overlapped with a separate “May Day” protest on the Lawn, which was hosted by student activist group U.Va. Dissenters and the U.Va. Apartheid Divest Coalition.
Another aggravated assault incident reported to UPD
By Thomas Baxter | 13 hours agoThis is the first community alert of May.
