 | Board of Visitors minutes July 28, 2006 |  |
July 28-29, 2006
The Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia convened, in Open Session, in Retreat at 10:00 a.m., Friday, July 28, 2006, at the Williamsburg Inn; Thomas F. Farrell, II, Rector, presided. All Members of the Board - W. Heywood Fralin, Daniel R. Abramson, A. Macdonald Caputo, The Honorable Alan A. Diamonstein, Ms. Susan Y. Dorsey, Ms. Georgia Willis Fauber, G. Slaughter Fitz-Hugh, Jr., Ms. Glynn D. Key, Vincent J. Mastracco, Jr., The Honorable Lewis F. Payne, Don R. Pippin, Gordon F. Rainey, Jr., Warren M. Thompson, E. Darracott Vaughan, Jr., M.D., John O. Wynne, and Ms. Anne Elizabeth Mullen - were present.
Present as well were John T. Casteen, III, Leonard W. Sandridge, Alexander G. Gilliam, Jr., Paul J. Forch, Ms. Nancy N. Rivers, and Ms. Jeanne Flippo Bailes.
Present at the first session on July 28th, were Gene D. Block, Ms. Colette Sheehy, J. Milton Adams, George A. Stovall, Ms. Carolyn S. Wood, and Ms. A. Megan Lowe. Robert D. Sweeney was present during the afternoon of July 28th.
The first portion of the Retreat was devoted to the work of the Special Committee on Planning and consisted both of a report on work accomplished and work yet to be done, as well as a general discussion by the Board of some the issues raised by the Committee.
The Rector opened the meeting with a summary of his charge to the Committee and the work done by the Committee to date. Mr. Wynne, the Chair of the Committee, spoke on the background of the charge and the Committee's deliberations. Basically, the Committee is trying to devise a ten year plan for the University, but like any good ten year plan, it is not complete and probably never will be. The Committee has not yet decided on priorities, and he observed that if priorities are based entirely on
At the Chair's request, Ms. Sheehy led a discussion on performance measures and distributed a manual on performance measurement. The Chair and the Rector observed that the manual should be a guide and that the Board should not attempt to micromanage this. The Chair noted that U.S. News & World Report, in its annual ranking of colleges and universities, does not measure efficiency of operation, only dollars spent per student - which works to the detriment of the University, an efficiently run organization.
After a short recess, Mr. Rainey, who had to leave because of another obligation, thanked Board Members for their commitments to the Campaign.
The meeting resumed with the following motions to go into Executive Session:
That the Board of Visitors into Closed Session to discuss and review fund-raising and gift development strategy, donor prospects and related performance goals of identifiable personnel of the University in connection with the University's Capital Campaign; and also to discuss and seek further legal guidance of General Counsel as may be needed with respect to gifts, gift development and coordination of University-related foundations, for the purpose of guiding and coordinating the future private financing and support of the University and sustaining its continued excellence for the long-term, as permitted by Section 2.2-3711 (A) (1), (6), (7) and (8) of the Code of Virginia.
That the Board of Visitors into Closed Session to evaluate and discuss the performance and the performance goals and objectives of the University's President and the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, as provided for in Section 2.2-3711 (A) (1) of the Code of Virginia.
The Board went into Executive Session.
After a recess for dinner, the Board resumed its deliberations, in Executive Session, until 10:15 p.m., when it recessed for the evening.
The Board resumed at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, July 29th, once more in Executive Session.
After adopting the following resolution certifying that its deliberations in Executive Session had been conducted in accord with the exemptions permitted by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, the Board went into Open Session at 10:00 a.m.:
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(s) authorizing the closed session, were heard, discussed or considered in closed session.
The meeting continued with reports by the several Committee Chairs on the attainment of their Committee goals - established at the Board Retreat in July, 2005 - over the past year, as well as the goals they have set for the forthcoming year. (These reports will be issued as a Supplement to these Minutes.)
The President presented a proposal to establish a third Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal, an award to be presented jointly by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation and the University. The new medal, to be called the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Civic Leadership, would follow the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Architecture, established in 1966, and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Law, established in 1977, both of which are awarded each year at Founder's Day. The Medal in Civic Leadership would be established for three years, after which there will be a review of its success.
On motion, the Board adopted the following resolution approving the establishment of the Medal:
| Board of Visitors minutes July 28, 2006 | |