FROM: Susan G. Harris

SUBJECT: Minutes of the Meeting of the Advancement Committee on March 1, 2018

The Advancement Committee of the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia met, in Open Session, at 9:35 a.m. on Thursday, March 1, 2018, in the Board Room of the Rotunda. John A. Griffin, Chair, presided. Mr. Griffin was unable to attend the meeting for personal reasons due to foreign travel. He participated by telephone from the Amantaka Resort, 55/3 Kingkitsarath Road, Luang Prabang, Laos. Rector Conner approved his participation by telephone pursuant to University policy, which is authorized by Section 2.2-3708.1 of the Code of Virginia.

Committee members present: Frank M. Conner III, Barbara J. Fried, Robert D. Hardie, James V. Reyes, and Jeffrey C. Walker

Committee members absent: Tammy S. Murphy and William B. Fryer

Robert M. Blue, Whittington W. Clement, Thomas A. DePasquale, Maurice A. Jones, Babur B. Lateef, M.D., John G. Macfarlane III, James B. Murray Jr., Margaret F. Riley, and Bryanna F. Miller also were present.

Present as well were Teresa A. Sullivan, Patrick D. Hogan, Thomas C. Katsouleas, Melody S. Bianchetto, Jonathan D. Bowen, Susan G. Harris, Donna P. Henry, Patricia M. Lampkin, W. Thomas Leback, Mark M. Luellen, David W. Martel, Debra D. Rinker, Roscoe C. Roberts, Pamela H. Sellers, and Colette Sheehy.

Tierney Fairchild, Risa L. Goluboff, Chet Hurwitz, Taylor L. Lamb, Scott Miller, John Muleta, Tina Shah Paikeday, and Gregory W. Roberts were the presenters.

Mr. Griffin opened the meeting and reported on the initial meeting of the Campaign Fund Implementation Group created by the committee to oversee the funding approved for the campaign. The group discussed shared resources across the advancement community, closer partnerships, and improving requirements and collaborations. At its next meeting, it will address the Opportunity Fund, which provides seed funding for schools and units to gear up for the campaign, primarily through hiring staff. The group will also discuss how to track return on investment.

Mr. Griffin referenced the fundraising report in the committee book. Total commitments were up 18% over the prior year. Commitments to the Bicentennial Scholars Fund were responsible for a large part of the increase – $66 million in signed and verbal commitments. When matched, the total will be over $125 million. Nearly $12 million has been raised for the Bicentennial Professors Fund, which was approved in December. With matching funds, its total will be close to $20 million.

Mr. Griffin gave the floor to Mr. Luellen. Mr. Luellen said the University received a top award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) for the GivingToHoosDay web platform. The Advancement Office signed a memorandum of understanding with the Health System so that its development and engagement staff will report to University Advancement. In the last 14 months, matching funds have created over 80 endowed scholarships. Between these scholarships and existing University held scholarships, $14.2 million has been awarded to over 1,800 students during the first eight months of the year.

Impact of Endowed Scholarships

Mr. Luellen introduced the panelists for this discussion: Ms. Taylor L. Lamb, a fourth-year student in the College of Arts and Sciences, Mr. Scott Miller, Director of Student Financial Aid, and Mr. Gregory W. Roberts, Dean of Admission.

Ms. Lamb said she would not be at the University without a University Achievement Award. The University was not her first choice, but the award was an offer she could not refuse. Her scholarships have enabled her to expand her university experience and graduate with little debt.

Mr. Miller said his office administers the University’s policy of meeting 100% of demonstrated need, which is the difference between the cost of attendance and a family’s ability to pay. He said the University’s need-based approach is more comprehensive than free tuition programs at other institutions, because it is based on the total cost of education: tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, travel to get to school.

Mr. Roberts discussed the importance of the Board’s commitment to need-based and merit-based aid. Over the past 10 to 20 years, the University’s annual surveys of applicants show prestige and academic reputation as two critical factors for selecting a school. Recent surveys also show cost and the availability of aid as a critical factor. He stressed the importance of need-based aid and said merit-based scholarships should be a complement to a strong need-based program.

During the committee discussion, Mr. Roberts explained the difference between need-blind, which refers to an admission process that does not consider financial background, versus meeting full need. UVA and UNC are the only public institutions that are both need-blind and meet full need.

Significant Scholarship Gift to the University of Virginia’s College at Wise

Ms. Henry outlined the impact of the $10 million gift made by the Hunter Smith Family Foundation. The gift will be matched by the Bicentennial Scholars Fund and will result in the $20 million Carl W. Smith Bicentennial Scholar Scholars Fund. When fully endowed in four years, it will provide scholarships each year to over 100 students and will help the College expand enrollment.

Hunter and Carl Smith have made a number of transformational contributions to the College at Wise for the Carl Smith Stadium, the Hunter Smith Marching Band Fund, the Hunter J. Smith Athletic Scholarship, the Lila Vicars Smith House renovation and an addition, and the Hunter J. Smith Dining Commons. Mrs. Smith also served as Co-Chair of the College’s Fulfilling the Dream campaign, which exceeded its goal by more than $17 million. Mrs. Smith was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year in 2011 and Benefactor of the Year in 2007. Carl and Hunter Smith were Benefactors of the Year in 2002, and Mr. Smith was Benefactor of the Year in 1994 and 1997.

The gift creates three scholarship programs: the $9 million Carl W. Smith Chancellor’s Scholars program targets STEM-H students with the highest academic standards from across Virginia; the $9 million Carl W. Smith Wise Scholars program targets rural area students in the Virginia counties west of Charlottesville; and the $2 million Carl W. Smith Bicentennial Scholar-Athlete program provides athletic scholarships for in-state and out-of-state students. The scholarships require community service work in Southwest Virginia. They cover full tuition and fees and are available for all four years if students meet the academic and service requirements.

As of February 20, 2018, 143 admitted freshmen met the eligibility requirements for Chancellor’s scholarships and 198 met the eligibility requirements for Wise scholarships. A total of 40 awards will be made for fall 2018.

Ms. Henry read the following letter from Ms. Smith:

Thank you for the invitation to present to the Board what inspired me to make a $10 Million Bicentennial Scholars Pledge to The University of Virginia College at Wise, in the name of my late husband Carl.

UVa Wise has always been a very special place for Carl and me. Many of you know that Carl attended UVA as a scholarship football player and graduated with a degree in Economics, founded AMVEST Corporation, a privately held energy company headquartered right here in Charlottesville, and was a member of the Board of Visitors from 1980 through 1988. What you may not know is Carl grew up in Wise, which was home to both his mother, Lila Vicars Smith, which the UVA Wise Chancellor's residence is named for, and his grandfather, a prominent lawyer and Judge for whom Carl and his family endowed the University's O. M. Vicars Professorship in Law.

Our connection to the Wise area was further strengthened when AMVEST started its first major coal operation in the 1970's, Glamorgan Coal Corporation, which operated in Wise and surrounding Counties. As with many other coal companies in Southwest Virginia, Glamorgan was eventually closed, and AMVEST was sold in 2007 after Carl passed away.

While I have been discouraged to see the coal economy and area population decline, I have been very pleased that UVa Wise continues to thrive, serving its students and Southwest Virginia with distinction. Under Chancellor Donna Henry's leadership, UVA Wise's mission statement and goals puts students first, with an objective to "provide its students the finest possible education in the public liberal arts tradition".

I was thrilled when I learned UVA created the Bicentennial Scholars Fund to match newly established scholarship endowments. Carl and his mother Lila, strongly believed in the value of education. I was reminded of a quote Carl made, where he said "My grandfather (Judge 0. M.Vicars) wanted to educate everyone he knew, family and otherwise, because education was that important to him." It is my hope that the scholarship program we are establishing, will provide additional incentive for many high quality students right here in Virginia, to continue their education at this wonderful college.

Mr. Luellen said Ms. Smith asked him to make sure the committee knew that a big part of the reason for her commitment was her trust and faith in Ms. Henry. The chair asked Mr. Hardie to read the following resolution, which the committee approved:

RESOLUTION IN APPRECIATION OF HUNTER J. SMITH

WHEREAS, Hunter J. Smith and her late husband, Carl W. Smith, have been long-time generous benefactors of the University of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Smith has especially been a champion of the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, as she and Mr. Smith once resided in Wise, Virginia, and it always remained a special place for them; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Smith and the Hunter Smith Family Foundation recently committed a significant gift in support of endowed scholarships at the College at Wise, which will have an enduring and tremendous impact on the ability of hundreds of students in the region to receive a college education;

RESOLVED, the Board of Visitors offers profound thanks and appreciation to Hunter J. Smith for her extraordinary generosity and commitment to the success of the College at Wise and its students.

IDEA Fund

Mr. Luellen began by saying the IDEA Fund’s mission was to support the University’s commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. He then introduced four of the Fund’s trustees: Ms. Tierney Fairchild, Mr. Chet Hurwitz, Mr. John Muleta, and Ms. Tina Shah Paikeday.

Mr. Muleta said the University will see its most diverse base of students and alumni in the 21^st century and must find ways to engage with them. He said the IDEA fund pursues a holistic approach to a sustained diverse engagement and explores collaborative solutions by piloting new ideas with the administration. The goal is to incorporate successful pilots in a systemic way.

Mr. Hurwitz joined the IDEA Fund to help make UVA more inclusive and diverse and to work with action oriented individuals. He was interested in the University’s Autism Research Initiative and is looking for ways to find alumni willing to support the initiative.

Ms. Paikeday said she was committed to diversity and inclusion as an undergraduate student at the University. She was excited to be involved with the IDEA Fund because it enabled her to engage with the University in a different way as an alumnus.

Ms. Fairchild said the IDEA Fund presents an opportunity for action leadership. The Fund looks for places where there are intersections of time, talent, and resources between schools or ideas, and for ways to engage people who have been left out.

During the committee discussion, the vice rector asked about the Fund’s budget. Mr. Muleta said there is a financial commitment to join the Fund. In addition, the Fund receives contributions. The vice rector asked Mr. Luellen to circulate information on how to support the fund. Ms. Sullivan said the Fund is a GivingToHoosDay participant.

Closed Session

At 10:35 a.m., the committee went into closed session upon the following motion made by Mr. Hardie, duly seconded, and approved:

Mr. Chair, I move that the Advancement Committee go into closed session to receive a briefing on ongoing discussions with donors regarding significant anonymous gifts in support of the University’s identified strategic priorities. The closed session is authorized by Code of Virginia section 2.2-3711 (A) 9.

At 11:00 a.m., the committee concluded closed session and approved the following motion read by Mr. Hardie, duly seconded, by roll call vote.

Voting in the affirmative:

Frank M. Conner III Robert D. Hardie

John A. Griffin James V. Reyes

Barbara J. Fried Jeffrey C. Walker

Motion:

Mr. Chair, I move that we vote on and record our certification that, to the best of each Board member’s knowledge, only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements and which were identified in the motion authorizing the closed session, were heard, discussed or considered in closed session.

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The chair adjourned the meeting at 11:00 a.m.

SGH:wtl

These minutes have been posted to the University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors website: http://www.virginia.edu/bov/advancementandcommunicationsminutes.html