Board of Visitors passes several resolutions at spring meeting
Beginning in 2009, Virginia Tech will recognize Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday by closing the university to allow all members of the university community to participate in education programs and celebration events.
This was among the actions taken by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors at its quarterly meeting today.
“Virginia Tech had recognized King’s birthday by canceling classes and providing a paid holiday for staff, however, a complete closure will convey a powerful, positive message to all members of the university community,” said University Provost Mark McNamee. “The third Monday of January will be designated as a holiday and holiday policies will apply.”
In other action, the board approved a resolution in which the School of the Arts will be divided and renamed the School of Performing Arts and Cinema in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, and the School of Visual Arts in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies. Read more about the two new schools.
The board also received an update on the development of 2008-09 tuition and fees. The 2008 session of the Virginia General Assembly was scheduled to conclude on March 8, 2008, however the session was extended to provide additional time for the House and Senate conferees to reach an agreement on the 2008-10 state budget, including provisions for higher education. As a result, the university did not have sufficient time to analyze the results of the 2008 session and will submit its 2008-09 tuition and fees proposals to the board’s Executive Committee later this spring.
Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger briefed board members on the process used to evaluate the hundreds of recommendations from internal and external reports developed in the aftermath of April 16, 2007. Similar to the update given to the university community on March 19, 2008, Steger informed board members how the many recommendations made by four review panels created after the shootings are being addressed.
In addition, Steger submitted a resolution honoring Lt. Thomas N. “Nick” Brantley, a 2001 graduate of Virginia Tech and the corps of cadets who lost his life over the Atlantic Ocean during night flight operations during a time of war.
The board also selected the two student representatives for the 2008-09 academic year. Arlane Gordan-Bray of Virginia Beach, Va., a junior majoring in international studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, was named the undergraduate student representative. Linsey Barker of Blacksburg, a graduate student in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering in the College of Engineering, will serve as the graduate student representative.
The board approved the designation of endowed professorships to two College of Engineering professors and two in the Pamplin College of Business. Scott L. Hendricks will be named the W.S. “Pete” White Chair for Innovation in Engineering Education, Rakesh K. Kapania will be named the Norris and Laura Mitchell Professor of Aerospace Engineering, Julie L. Ozanne will be appointed the Sonny Merryman Inc. Professor in Business, and Anju Seth will be appointed the R.B. Pamplin Professor in Management.
In addition, seven faculty members were honored with emeritus status.
The next regular quarterly meeting of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors will be held June 19-20, 2008, in Northern Virginia.
