 | Board of Visitors minutes April 1, 2005 |  |
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
The President welcomed the three new Members and said that a few weeks before, he had the pleasure of telephoning Catherine Neale with the good news of her selection as a Truman Scholar. He described the criteria for the Truman and said he understood that Ms. Neale plans a career in public higher education, both as a law school instructor and as a college administrator and eventually hopes to become a university president.
RESTRUCTURING
He then reviewed the legislation on restructuring, noting that the Governor has submitted a substitute bill which will be considered by the General Assembly on April 6. The President outlined the Governor’s modifications and said his “clarifications provide a sound framework.” Work on this legislation throughout the General Assembly Session has been bipartisan, and the support of the Governor and the Legislature for higher education has been very gratifying and is important to the economic future of Virginia.
GRADUATE SCHOOL RANKINGS
The President reported on the latest U.S. News & World Report graduate school rankings, released today. The Law School ranks 8th, tied with the University of Michigan but up from 9th last year. In the School of Medicine, the research ranking is 26th, down one from last year; Medicine’s goal is to be ranked 20th in the country. Darden is judged 14th best, down from 12th last year. The Curry School ranks 22nd – tied with the University of Maryland – down from 20th last year. The School of Engineering is 34th, tied with North Carolina State University, the Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute and Washington University in St. Louis; this is an improvement over last year’s ranking as 42nd.
The English Department has an overall ranking of 12th, in a tie with Duke University and the University of Michigan; English departments were not ranked last year. The Department’s programs in African-American literature, American literature after 1865, American literature before 1865, and 18th through 20th century British literature, were rated as being among the ten best in the country. The History Department ranks 19th, in a tie with Indiana University and the University of Texas; History departments were not ranked last year.
THE VIRGINIA QUARTERLY REVIEW
The Virginia Quarterly Review has been nominated in two categories of the American Society of Magazine Editors’ Annual National Magazine Awards – in fiction and in general excellence for publications with circulations of under 100,000. To be nominated in fiction is particularly impressive – the other finalists this year in this category are The Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s, The New Yorker, and The Paris Review.
UPDATE ON SEARCHES
The President gave a brief update on current searches: Chief Officer for Diversity and Equity, Dean of the Darden School, Dean of the School of Engineering, Chancellor at Wise, and the Equal Opportunity Director.
GIFTS AND GRANTS REPORT
The President gave his customary report on Gifts and Grants.
Private giving to the University and its related foundations in the current fiscal year, through February 28th, is $130.2million, an increase of $17.2million or 15% over the same period last year.
Among the significant gifts received since the February meeting of the Board are a $1.2million increase in a grant to the Law School by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, a $915,000 pledge payment from Mrs. Ann Lee Saunders Brown, and a $700,000 pledge payment from the Peter B. & Adeline W. Ruffin Foundation. Two significant new pledges are an anonymous $3.6million pledge for the unrestricted use of the Athletic Department, and $1million from Mr. Mansoor Ijaz to the College Foundation for an endowed graduate fellowship.
The Rector asked for a resolution accepting the President’s Gifts and Grants Report, and the following resolution was adopted:
| Board of Visitors minutes April 1, 2005 | |