The Board of Visitors will convene Thursday and Friday at Boar’s Head Resort for its final set of meetings of the calendar year, with discussions expected to span the University’s research enterprise, academic program changes, major capital planning and contract authority across several University units.
This week’s meetings will also be the Board’s final gathering before Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger takes office in January. Spanberger has announced that she will appoint new members to fill the five Board vacancies once her administration begins, following a year marked by failed confirmations and legal battles. The upcoming changes will shape the composition of the Board at its next regular meeting in early 2026.
The full Board will meet Friday afternoon and is expected to receive briefings from Interim President Paul Mahoney who will discuss the University’s standstill agreement with the Justice Department in open session and lead a broader conversation about Board engagement with the University’s research enterprise. The agreement has drawn concern from multiple groups, including the Faculty Senate and members of the General Assembly, who have questioned its scope and the extent to which it limits the University’s ability to disclose information surrounding the Justice Department investigations.
Various committee meetings will begin Thursday, starting with the Health System Board, which will meet to receive operational updates from U.Va. Health. The agenda includes a written report from the Medical Center outlining staffing trends, clinical performance and community engagement efforts.
Members will also hear a presentation on U.Va. Health Cardiology’s translational research portfolio, which highlights $19.6 million in active grants. The Health System Board is also expected to vote on signatory authority for Medical Center contracts that exceed $5 million per year. According to the agenda, the expenses for goods and services through the contracts approved are reflected in the Medical Center’s Operating Capital Budget.
Later that afternoon, the Buildings and Grounds Committee will meet to consider adding the Steele Wing Renovation to the University’s Major Capital Plan. The Steele Wing, part of the School of Medicine’s West Complex, sustained significant flooding damage in April 2025. The proposed renovation, estimated at $25 to $30 million, would restore office and clinical space while modernizing infrastructure and potentially consolidating shared resources such as break rooms and conference areas.
The committee will also hear an overview of the University’s annual capital planning process and receive updates on historic preservation projects, including work at the Mews, the University Chapel and several Pavilions on the Lawn.
Furthermore, the Academic and Student Life Committee will meet to review a series of academic items. Members will consider establishing the Donald Black Professorship in the Social Sciences along with the Kinder Foundation Distinguished Chair of Landscape Architecture, supported by a philanthropic gift focused on advancing design excellence.
The committee will also review proposed changes to several academic programs, including the discontinuation of the Bachelor of Professional Studies in Health Sciences Management and the Doctor of Education in Counselor Education. In addition, the committee will take up two new graduate degree proposals — a Master of Science in Public Policy and Data in the Batten School and a Master of Change Management in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies — both of which will require approval from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia upon the Board approving them. The session also includes remarks from Brie Gertler, interim executive vice president and provost.
The Finance Committee will be meeting Friday morning to recommend raising the approval threshold for University goods-and-services contracts from $5 million to $10 million. Under the proposed change, fewer routine contracts would need direct Board approval before the University can move forward, allowing day-to-day operations, such as large equipment purchases or service agreement, to move more quickly. High-impact professional service contracts, however, would still require Board approval at the lower $5 million threshold, preserving oversight in areas with greater financial or strategic risk.
The committee will also review Strategic Investment Fund awards and a proposal to provide Medical Center housestaff with retirement plan contributions under the University’s optional retirement plan.
The Audit, Compliance and Risk Committee will follow with a review of the University’s fiscal year 2025 financial statements and the Auditor of Public Accounts’ annual audit. The APA report will include required communications related to internal controls, compliance testing, accounting policies and any audit adjustments. Members will also receive written mid-year status reports from internal audit, institutional compliance, privacy programs and records and information management. A closed session will follow to address personnel matters and proprietary financial information related to the Medical Center.
Rounding out the schedule, the Committee on the College at Wise will meet to consider re-approving two graduate programs, the Master of Technology Management and Data Analytics and the Master of Science in Nursing, following updated review timelines at SCHEV. The committee will also hear reports on enrollment demographics, the College’s Hospitality and Tourism program and its 10-Year Reaffirmation process with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
The full Board meeting and open sessions of all subcommittee meetings are available to the public to stream online.
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