The full University Board of Visitors will convene Wednesday through Friday to discuss artificial intelligence strategy, updates regarding the provost and dean searches as well as the buildings, finances and compliance of the University.
Wednesday
The Board had a 1.5-hour reception Wednesday. Board members were joined by Lawn and Pavilion residents, as well as a selection of student leaders at Carr’s Hill — University President Scott Beardsley’s home — from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Thursday
The Board’s morning will begin at Boar’s Head Resort for the meeting of the Health System Board, while all other meetings will be held on Grounds at the Rotunda. Sitting on the HSB are seven Board members — including HSB Chair David Okonkwo — five public members and eight advisors. Notable University and U.Va. Health leaders serve as advisors for the HSB, including Beardsley, Mitchell Rosner, U.Va. Health chief executive officer and executive vice president for health affairs, and Brie Gertler, interim executive vice president and provost.
Following opening remarks by Okonkwo and Rosner, the HSB agenda details various written reports to be presented to members — a Medical Center Report, School of Medicine Report and School of Nursing Report. Interim Nursing Dean Jeanne Alhusen will deliver the Nursing report following former Nursing Dean Marianne Baernholdt’s departure in August.
The Medical Center Report touches on the employee engagement survey administered this year, which resulted in U.Va. Health leaders being asked to enforce at least one action item in one of three focus areas — respect, safety or accountability. The report additionally mentions the Earn While You Learn initiative, which enables candidates to earn a salary in their health care position while training simultaneously, as well as clinical and operational updates.
The School of Medicine report details various research and educational achievements, including the graduation of the Class of 2026, grant awards for treatments for lung damage, heart disease and deafness and the accreditation of a new surgery residency program. Lastly, the Nursing report acknowledges the school’s continued celebration of its 125th anniversary this year, its “Best School for Men in Nursing” award and its 100 percent alignment with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials.
After a closed discussion, the HSB will hear a finance report in open session, which finds U.Va. Health’s operating income was favorable to its budget. The Health System’s operating income of $36 million for fiscal year 2026 was somewhat inflated by $22 million from reconciliations of 2017 and 2019 Medicare cost reports that take years to finalize. For comparison, the Health System got a similar boost of $12 million from a 2016 cost report.
Total paid employees, according to the HSB report, were 162 full-time equivalents over budget. This includes both employees and contract labor, which typically costs significantly more per hour and is used to fill staffing gaps. Contract labor for the University Medical Center included 419 FTEs, of which 182 were nurse travelers, according to the HSB meeting agenda.
According to the HSB agenda, the operating margin for U.Va. Community Health essentially broke even, and the U.Va. Physicians Group showed an operating deficit of $18 million, mainly due to lower patient volume and revenue. The School of Medicine generated a $38 million deficit in the fourth quarter of FY26 — a loss that is $20 million over the $18 million deficit it had budgeted for, and Nursing has a favorable $4 million operating income through FY26.
Lastly, the HSB will vote in open session to approve credentialing and re-credentialing items, terminate the clinical staff privileges of Asst. Prof. of Medicine Dr. Raza Alvi and amend the Clinical Staff Bylaws.
In the early afternoon, the Academics and Student Life Committee — composed of 11 Board members, including the student and faculty representatives to the Board — will convene to hear about Student Affairs, the “student co-curricular experience” and the “student academic experience.” The Board also received a written report from Student Affairs on “building community, wellness and citizen-leadership” and a report on the philosophical and legal framework of student self-governance. The report on self-governance spells out the legal foundation of self-governance organization — the Board delegates authority to students for disciplinary proceedings. While University administrative bodies provide support, students “remain the sole decision-makers.”
Kenyon Bonner, vice president and chief Student Affairs officer, will discuss student trends regarding career readiness advising, care and support services and safety. Three undergraduate students will speak to the Board alongside Bonner with various involvements across Grounds. Next, Gertler and Josipa Roksa, associate provost for undergraduate education, will update the committee on efforts to strengthen undergraduate advising and meet a growing demand for undergraduate research opportunities.
The Buildings and Grounds Committee will convene at the same time and includes 11 committee members, again featuring both the student and faculty representatives to the Board. University Architect Alice Raucher is set to lead the committee in a discussion of “architectural styles on Grounds,” and Lois Stanley, senior vice president for operations, will present to the committee the U.Va. Health Transitional Care Hospital Renovation as an addition to the Major Capital Plan and the naming of exterior spaces at Aggarwal Hall on Emmet Street.
Raucher will also present to the Board a schematic design review of the College at Wise’s Darden Hall renovation, and various University Architecture & Sustainability leaders will discuss sustainability at the University with the committee. Mark Stanis, director of capital construction and renovations for University Facilities Management, will update the Board on construction across Grounds, and the Board will also receive five written reports for their review on subjects including the FY27 Major Capital Plan, sustainability, historic preservation, minor capital projects and Pavilion occupancy.
The Finance Committee’s meeting will follow from 3-4:30 p.m., and the 10 committee members will vote to approve updates to the State Six-Year Institutional Plan, operating and capital amendments to the State Biennial Budget and Darden graduate student housing rates.
The 2025 Six-Year Plan for the Academic Division, according to the meeting’s agenda, will use the 2030 Plan as the starting point to “strengthe[n] our foundation,” “cultivat[e] the most vibrant community in higher education,” “enabl[e] discoveries that enrich and improve lives” and “mak[e] U.Va. synonymous with service.” Key changes to the financial portion of the plan as outlined in the agenda include adjusting the financial plan to accommodate additional state funding and reflect state-authorized salary increases for faculty and staff.
Regarding amendments to the state budget, the University may propose budget amendments for consideration by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D). The Board will vote to request general fund operating and capital budget amendments, particularly in light of 2026 Major Capital Program updates it approved in June.
Further, Board members on the Finance Committee will hear a report on the University’s Strategic Investment Fund and a presentation on the University of Virginia Investment Management Company 2025-26 Annual Report.
Friday
The following morning, the Audit, Compliance and Risk Committee — composed of nine Board members and a faculty consulting member, will discuss institutional compliance and U.Va. Health compliance and privacy programs.
In the form of written reports, Board members will review audit and compliance materials. In a closed session, members will hold a conversation on U.Va. Health compliance matters involving protected health information and confidential health care operations, IT systems and consultation with external counsel “regarding legal advice on a confidential matter.”
The full Board will convene from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — longer than most previous full Board meetings — to hear standard reports from Beardsley, the Board committees and the Faculty Senate, among other groups’ reports.
On the consent agenda, the full Board will vote on reappointments to UVIMCO’s Board of Directors and HSB, a policy for electronic Board meetings, the assignments of two Pavilion Lawn rooms, revisions to the Board Manual and the confirmation of Board representatives of governing boards of University-affiliated organizations.
Further, Board members will recount takeaways from June’s Morven retreat, in which members aimed to align governance priorities at the start of their terms and foster unity across the Board. In its summarized priorities, the Board will hold itself to “rebuild trust and a unified external voice” in strengthening organizational health, “build a fact-based view of the University’s financial baseline” and “deliver a strategic plan” with a target of January 2027. Further, it aims to provide all members with a “common dashboard of key facts” and “be clear-eyed about where the Board brings expertise versus where University leadership of fellow members are closer to the facts.” Lastly, Board members aim to welcome new members through more formal mechanisms with retreats and orientations as well as informal mechanisms like buddy systems and mentorship.
Beardsley will also present updates regarding the provost and dean searches — at least four provost and dean positions remain vacant or with interims — and update members on the strategic planning process and deliverables to expect next semester. The planning process has included a series called “Grounds for Conversation,” in which Beardsley has invited groups across the University to converse with him about institutional priorities.
Slotted for 45 minutes in open session, Gertler will present to the committee on “Artificial Intelligence Strategy” for the University. Her presentation details how faculty are learning and using AI, including in hands-on workshops to uncover how AI can be used in research, in engineering support to build AI agents into research workflows and in mentoring colleagues about AI pedagogies. As for students, Gertler’s presentation says students are using AI when mastering its applications in professional fields and when building their fluency in a new research method, and they are also learning appropriate use and its societal implications.
After presenting on the University’s AI progression and priorities, Gertler’s presentation will open the floor to a Board discussion, asking members what the University should prioritize with regards to AI and what longer-term questions should be addressed for planning. Additionally, Vice President for Research Lori McMahon will spend an allotted 15 minutes presenting to the Board an update on research at the University.
The Board’s meetings will adjourn at 5 p.m., according to the meeting schedule. The Cavalier Daily will provide reporting on individual meetings as they occur.
Grace Little is a news editor for the 137th term. She is a third-year student from Dallas majoring in neuroscience and the interdisciplinary major in public policy, politics and media studies. She enjoys writing about the shifting landscape of higher education, and you can reach her at g.little@cavalierdaily.com.
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