December 6, 2018

MEMORANDUM

TO: The Committee on The University of Virginia’s College at Wise:

Elizabeth M. Cranwell, Chair Frank M. Conner III, Ex-officio

Thomas A. DePasquale, Vice Chair Brendan T. Nigro, Student Member

Whittington W. Clement Margaret F. Riley, Faculty Member

Maurice A. Jones A. Bruce Cahoon, Faculty Consulting Member

C. Evans Poston Jr.

and

The Remaining Members of the Board:

Robert M. Blue Babur B. Lateef, M.D.

Mark T. Bowles Tammy S. Murphy

L.D. Britt, M.D. James B. Murray Jr.

Barbara J. Fried James V. Reyes

John A. Griffin Jeffrey C. Walker

Robert D. Hardie

FROM: Susan G. Harris

SUBJECT: Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee on The University of Virginia’s College at Wise on December 6, 2018

The Committee on The University of Virginia’s College at Wise met, in Open Session, at 1:50 p.m. on Thursday, December 6, 2018, in the Board Room of the Rotunda. Elizabeth M. Cranwell, Chair, presided.

Present: Thomas A. DePasquale, Whittington W. Clement, Maurice A. Jones, C. Evans Poston Jr., Brendan T. Nigro, and A. Bruce Cahoon

Absent: Frank M. Conner III and Margaret F. Riley

Robert M. Blue was also present.

Present as well were Richard P. Shannon, M.D., Donna P. Henry, Ronald R. Hutchins, W. Thomas Leback, David W. Martel, Barry T. Meek, and Debra D. Rinker.

Telena M. Turner was the presenter.

Ms. Cranwell opened the meeting. After reviewing the agenda, she gave the floor to Ms. Henry.

Report of the Chancellor

Ms. Henry reported on fall enrollment, the reduced tuition proposal for the Appalachian Region, marketing and branding plans, and the reorganization of enrollment management and student affairs. The fall 2018 enrollment numbers are similar to those for 2017. Recruitment and enrollment continue to be the College’s biggest challenge because of its traditional reliance on students from Southwest Virginia, a region which is experiencing a decline in population.

While forty-five percent of students are from Southwest Virginia, the College attracts students from most of the counties and cities in Virginia with Wise County providing the largest number of students. Significant numbers of students come from the surroundings counties; the top ten feeder high schools for first time freshman are in the region. Significant numbers of students also come from Prince William and Fairfax Counties in Northern Virginia and Chesterfield County in the Richmond area. The majority of out-of-state students come from Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Most of these students are athletes.

For the fall of 2018, there were 314 freshman and 81 transfer students. Last fall, there were 257 freshmen and 99 transfer students. The largest number of transfer students come from Mountain Empire Community College, which is in Wise County.

Ms. Henry reviewed the proposal to offer reduced tuition to students from the federally designated Appalachian Region, which stretches from upstate New York to Mississippi. The College is in the middle of the region and is in its largest cluster of economically distressed counties. The legislation for this proposal, which is supported by the Governor, has been pre-filed with the General Assembly as emergency legislation. This will allow it to go directly to the Governor for signature once it has been approved by the House and Senate.

At the request of the chair, Ms. Henry discussed the College’s transition from the Mountain East Athletic Conference to the South Atlantic Conference. The Mountain East Athletic Conference is comprised of schools in West Virginia and Ohio. Average travel time to these institutions is 4 to 6 hours. The South Atlantic Conference is comprised of schools in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. These institutions are in the College’s television and newspaper markets. In addition, travel times to games will be significantly reduced.

Ms. Henry said the College has contracted with a consultant to work on a new marketing and branding plan. The plan should be ready by the end of the spring. Mr. Martel, at Ms. Henry’s request, added that the College should be well positioned for the class enrolling in the fall of 2020 and should have incremental improvements ready for the fall of 2019.

Ms. Henry said that the position of Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Life will be split into two positions to allow a greater focus on recruitment. The College will also look at the packaging of financial aid and scholarships to make sure it is being done in the most effective manner for student recruitment.

Remarks by the Faculty Consulting Member

Mr. Cahoon reported on a recent National Science Foundation (NSF) Award, which is the largest NSF award ever received by the College. The genesis for the grant proposal came from the College’s efforts to improve recruiting and retention. While the College has talented students, socioeconomic factors often impede the completion of degrees in the STEM fields. The majority of the $650,000 grant is designated for STEM scholarships. The grant will run for a five-year period from August 2019 through July 2024 in two cohorts, the first starting in the fall of 2019 and the second in the fall of 2020. Each cohort will consist of 12 first year students and 13 transfer students. First year students will receive a $5,000 annual tuition scholarship for four years. Transfer students will receive the scholarship for 2 ½ years.

The grant will test the efficacy of six approaches for the retention of financially needy STEM students and for their preparation for graduate school or the workforce.

The College will work to identify and attract potential STEM students. Efforts will include visiting area high schools and community colleges, distributing information, sending letters to admitted students, and creating a web presence. If successful, the grant could be extended at an increased funding level.

Remarks by College at Wise Student

Ms. Cranwell introduced Ms. Turner, who serves as the 2018-2019 student member of the College at Wise Advisory Board. Ms. Turner’s report focused on the student experience. To prepare for the meeting, she asked students what they loved about the College and why they chose Wise. A common theme was the idea of connection - connection to the community, to UVA, and to local families. Global opportunities, along with opportunities for financial support, scholarships, and program support, was another theme. Ms. Turner said these themes were reflected in this year’s convocation theme of ‘a global education in the heart of Applachia.’ She added that student life has kept her at the College.

Ms. Turner, who participates in the Peake Honors Program, provided an overview of the program as an opportunity that is available for Wise students. The program currently has 31 students and is open to freshmen with a combined SAT score of 1200 and upper-classmen with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Participants, who graduate with honors, must meet certain requirements, take extra classes, and prepare reflective write-ups. They also have the chance to engage in travel opportunities, which have a focus on student interaction and group work.

Mr. Nigro asked what types of UVA opportunities Wise students want. Ms. Turner said research; access to University resources, such as the libraries; and connections with UVA students to discuss experiences. Dr. Shannon asked about the College’s new health clinic. Ms. Turner said it has helped because instead of having to go to the emergency room at the local hospital, students save time by going to the clinic for diagnosis and medications.

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The chair adjourned the meeting at 2:36 p.m.

SGH:wtl

These minutes have been posted to the University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors website: https://bov.virginia.edu/committees/208