Minutes of the VMI Board of Visitors. December 5, 1998

              VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE
Lexington, Virginia
Minutes
BOARD OF VISITORS MEETING
5 December 1998
A meeting of the VMI Board of Visitors was held at the Virginia Military Institute at 8:30 A.M. on Saturday, 5 December 1998, pursuant to notice.
Present: Bruce C. Gottwald '54, President
Waverley L. Berkley, III, Esq.
Anita K. Blair, Esq.
Dr. Mac A. Bowman '73
Rhett Clarkson '61
Robert R. Copty '70
Robert B. Crotty, Esq.'73
W. Thomas Hudson '69
Charles B. Lindsey '71
T. Carter Melton, Jr. '67
S. Waite Rawls, III '70
Dr. Sue Ellen B. Rocovich
Thomas A. Saunders, III '58
Heber V. Traywick, Jr. '67
Maj. Gen. Claude A. Williams
Samuel B. Witt, III, Esq. '58
Anne C. Woodfin
Others Present:
Maj. Gen. Josiah Bunting, III '63, Superintendent
Brig. Gen. Alan F. Farrell, Dean of the Faculty
Dr. James L. Adams '71, Exec. VP, VMI Foundation
Col. Susan L. Barr, Ass't Dean of the Faculty
Col. Vernon L. Beitzel '72, Dir. of Admissions
Col. N. Michael Bissell '61, Special Assistant
to the Superintendent
Felix E. "Bert" Deacon, III, '77, President,
VMI Alumni Association
Col. Edwin L. Dooley, Jr., Secretary to the Board
LTC Robert W. Gilbert, VMI Comptroller
Col. Robert L. Green '67, Acting Director of
Cadet Affairs
Col. Gary R. Knick, Treasurer & Assoc. Business Exec.
LTC Paul B. Maini '66, Exec. VP, VMI Alumni Assoc.
C. Douglas Marechal '62, BOV Representative
to the VMI Athletic Council
G. Gilmer Minor, III '63, President, VMI Foundation
Jeffrey J. Morgan '80, Exec. VP, VMI Keydet Club
LTC Paul G. Pierpaoli, Jr., Ass't to the Supt.
David L. Prasnicki, Chief Financial Officer,
VMI Foundation
Col. John L. Rowe, Jr. '66, Business Executive LTC Robert B. Spore '70, Dir., Personnel Services
Maj. Charles J. Steenburgh, Jr. '86, Ass't Dir., PR
Col. William J. Stockwell, Assoc. Dean of the Faculty
Col. Michael M. Strickler '71, Dir., Public Relations
Col. Ronald W. Williams '64, Deputy Commandant
Donald T. White '65, Dir., Intercollegiate Athletics
Cadet David Kaczmarek '99, Regimental S-1,
representing the Regimental Commander
Cadet Ezra W. Clark '99, President, First Class
Cadet Joel J. Britt '99, President, VMI Honor Court
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1. Mr. Gottwald presided and Colonel Dooley recorded the minutes of the meeting.
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2. Mr. Gottwald welcomed Maj. Gen. Claude A. Williams, newly appointed Adjutant General of Virginia and new member of the VMI Board of Visitors. (The Adjutant General of Virginia is a member ex officio of the Board of the Board of Visitors and serves for the duration of his term in office. General Williams replaces Lt. Gen. Carroll Thackston '55, who served as The Adjutant General of Virginia and member of the VMI Board of Visitors from 1 July 1994 to 30 September 1998.)
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3. A motion was made by Mr. Crotty, seconded by Dr. Bowman, to approve the minutes of the meeting of the Board of Visitors held on 29 August 1998. The motion passed.
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4. Mr. Gottwald welcomed Messrs. Deacon and Minor, representatives of the VMI alumni agencies, and invited them to address the Board.
a. President of the VMI Alumni Association: Mr. Deacon began his comments by expressing gratitude for the life and accomplishments of Brig. Gen. Edwin "Pete" Cox, III '53, former President of the VMI Alumni Association, who died the previous week in Richmond. The Board joined Mr. Deacon in expressing sorrow over the immense loss thus sustained by the Alumni Association and the Institute by the death of such a loyal and devoted son. In offering his tribute, Mr. Deacon said he wished to insure that General Cox's good name and this loss to the Institute would be memorialized in the minutes of the Board.
Mr. Deacon reported on an October meeting of the Atlanta VMI Alumni Chapter which was attended by the Superintendent, Mr. Minor, Mr. Deacon, and over 250 friends and family of VMI. Mr. Deacon thanked the Superintendent for being the principal speaker at the meeting, and for a number of other appearances recently before alumni chapter around the nation.
Mr. Deacon then reported on a number of issues being addressed by the Association, including:
1) The Academic Committee, under the chairmanship
of Judge John Marshall '65, is focusing its
attention on the Institute's academic program
and its reputation in high schools. Furthermore,
the committee, with the assistance of BG Farrell
and Col. Francis Bush, sponsored a successful
pre-law conference at the Institute in October.
2) The Alumni Association, in cooperation with the
Institute, is working to strengthen the interest
and qualifications of cadets in science,
engineering, and pre-med.
3) The Association is working with the Institute to
enhance and expand the Institute Scholars Program.
4) New cadet recruiting is a priority for the
Association and its chapters, and work in this
area is going very well.
5) The Association is concerned and focused on the
future of the VMI football program. He said that
he and the Association have great confidence in
General Bunting and Mr. White to keep the
program on the right course.
In closing, he said that the alumni agencies are unified in their efforts and cooperation, and that the doors of the agencies are open at all times to the Board of Visitors.
b. President of the VMI Foundation: Mr. Minor mentioned the Institute Society's 25th Anniversary Gala Dinner, held at VMI on Saturday, 14 November. He said that over 600 attended the dinner in Cocke Hall, making it a resounding success, and he thanked the Board and the Institute for all the assistance provided. He said that the Foundation's Board met that weekend and received excellent reports.
--------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Cadets David Kaczmarek '99, Regimental S-1 (representing Cadet Jason B. Berg '99, Regimental Commander); Ezra W. Clark '99, President of the First Class; and Joel J. Britt '99, President of the VMI Honor Court, addressed the Board. (Leaders of the Corps of Cadets are invited to address the Board each year at the fall meeting.)
a. Cadet Clark mentioned a number of issues and projects, including:
1) Break-Out this year will take the form of 48 hours
of mental and physical activities that will test
the Rats, followed by a 25-mile forced march from
Harrisonburg to New Market. Mr. Clark said that
the new form for Break-Out will be tough and
motivating, and that its purpose will be to
instill in the Rats, in a vivid manner, the legacy
of VMI, and to unify them as a Class.
2) He reported that the First Class is focusing on
the Class System, with special attention to
appearance, conduct, and class privileges. He said
that rooming by companies and overcrowding in
Barracks have been problems this year and have
hindered the effectiveness of the Class System.
b. Cadet Kaczmarek, reporting for Cadet Berg, spoke of a number of accomplishments, concerns, and issues in the Corps, including:
1) He praised the return this year to modified
family-style dining in the Mess Hall. He said
that the arrangement, which features several
serving lines, provides greater variety and better
nutrition, and that it works well with cadets'
academic schedules. He added that Rats have 15
minutes to eat at every meal, during which
Cadre no longer focuses on disciplining them;
however, Rats are required to maintain good
posture and observe proper etiquette, he
explained.
2) He expressed the opinion that a new arrangement in
Barracks by which cadets no longer will room by
Class but by Company, on appropriate stoops, will
not achieve the stated goal of fostering Class
unity and is detrimental to the Regimental System.
3) He discussed the issue of Rat Cheerleaders. He said that the cheerleaders have done an excellent
job this year, in a difficult situation, but that
having Rats in a "leadership position" in front of
the Corps has resulted in problems. He said that
the situation will be corrected in the next two
to three years when the active cheerleading squad
is composed only of upper class cadets.
4) He cautioned everyone about stories in the media
which may be inaccurate or based solely on rumor.
5) He spoke of the recent wiring of Barracks that
has connected cadet rooms to e-mail and Internet
services, saying that it has led to a problem
that is detrimental to the Class System and
the Rat Year. The problem is that cadets are
spending much time on the Internet and on chat
lines at the expense of interacting with other
cadets, and that there is a growing use of
the Internet to access pornography. The latter
problem may be solved by introducing some
curbs on access to these web sites, he said.
6) He said that morale in the Corps is generally
low at this time of the year, which he attributed
to a number of reasons, including the effects of
grades, penalty tours, a long and nearly unbroken
fall semester, rumors, a losing football season,
and other reasons. He said that one result is
growing tension between different groups of cadets.
He said that the Regimental officers are addressing
these problems, but that Christmas vacation and a
fresh start in the new semester will do as much as
anything to change attitudes.
7) He said that he perceives a dropping of ethical
and moral standards by cadets and a lack of
respect for authority -- toward the administration,
the cadet chain of command, and the Class
System. He said that the Corps of Cadets reflects
the ethical and moral standards of society at
large, and that it is hard to teach values to
cadets during the short time that they are
here; however, he said that a strong effort
continues to be made at VMI to teach values
of honor, respect, and loyalty, and he
emphasized the need to recruit new cadets who
possess these character traits. c. Cadet Britt reported on the Honor Court.
1) He said that it has not been the policy of the
Honor Court to certify cadets who are involved in
investigations and trials. However, rumors and
leaks of information about investigations and
trials have led this year to the adoption of a
certification policy applied to cadets directly
involved in investigations and trials: jury
members and witnesses. Mr. Britt reported very
positive results from this new policy.
2) He said that the Honor Court education program
for Rats is going well. He said that the program
was conducted throughout the semester and was
aimed at all members of the Corps.
3) He said that the Honor Court met with General
Committee officers and other leaders in Barracks
during the semester. The purpose of the meeting
was to give cadets a tour of the Honor Court
complex and to answer questions about Honor
Court policies and procedures.
4) He said that the Honor Court will have to
address the honor implications of access to
various Internet services. The Court will
speak to the Corps in January about this during a
Commandant's Training Time (CTT) hour.
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6. General Bunting then called Col. Edwin L. Dooley, Jr. forward to receive the Virginia Military Institute Achievement Medal. In presenting the medal, the following citation was read:
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE. To all who shall see these presents, greeting: this is to certify that the Superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute, authorized by the Board of visitors, has awarded the VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL to Edwin L. Dooley, Jr., Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and Secretary to the Board of Visitors, for exceptionally meritorious service. Since his appointment as Instructor of History in the fall of 1968, Colonel Dooley has served in a variety of challenging and responsible positions at VMI, including Director of the VMI Museum, Public Information Officer, Director of Institutional Planning, Coordinator of International Programs, and Instructor in French and Spanish. His untiring professional support of the Board of Visitors through years of media attention and litigation has earned him the respect and admiration of friends of VMI, cadets, faculty, staff, and alumni. His remarkable efficiency and conscientious editing in publishing the minutes of the Board of Visitors and addressing the volume of legislative and other executive inquiries directed to the Superintendent's Office are consistently outstanding. Through his work at a the Ecole Polytechnique of France and the Estonian Military and Public Service Academy, Colonel Dooley was instrumental in developing cooperative programs and close relationships between VMI and those schools. Colonel Dooley has also made invaluable contributions to the history of the Virginia Military Institute by transcribing the pre-Civil War correspondence of Superintendent Francis H. Smith, and co-authoring a biography of Claudius Crozet. Colonel Dooley's efforts have brought well-deserved honor and praise to himself and to the Virginia Military Institute.
General Bunting and the Board congratulated Col. Dooley most warmly on this achievement, and Col. Dooley expressed sincere thanks for the award.
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7. General Bunting presented the Superintendent's remarks, reported in full below:
Gen. Bunting spoke of the recent death of Brig. Gen. Edwin Cox, III '53, by saying, No one who was at Pete Cox's funeral, or who knew Pete, will ever forget the experience of our farewell to Pete or of the character of Pete's service to VMI. In many respects it was the concentrated essence of the breed. We will always remember and cherish his memory for that, particularly in the last very difficult year of his life, the bravery with which he faced what was a certain fate, and also the magnanimity with which he conducted himself towards those with whom he had sharp disagreements in the past; this was a remarkable son of the Institute.
He then asked the President to ask the Board for a motion that would authorize him to prepare a written expression of the Board's condolence to members of Gen. Cox's family. Mr. Witt made the motion, seconded by Mr. Hudson. The motion passed.
He welcomed General Claude Williams, the new Adjutant General of Virginia, to the Board of Visitors. He stated that he and several others from VMI, including the First Captain, had the pleasure of going to Richmond to attend General Williams' inauguration.
He then brought the Board up to date on the condition of Col. James Joyner, Commandant of Cadets, who was recuperating at home after having undergone triple bypass surgery a week before the meeting.
Gen. Bunting thanked Messrs. Minor and Adams for the Institute Society Gala Dinner, which he said was a tremendous success.
He then congratulated and commended Col. Walter L. Chalkley '72, Professor and Head of the Department of Military Science for his continuing leadership of the Army ROTC, and particularly for the extraordinary growth and improvement in the department as registered in VMI Summer Camp performance (finishing near the top in the country last summer), in physical training performance (finishing first in the country), and in the increasing number of cadets receiving commissions (50 this year). Gen. Bunting said that VMI is resuming its rightful place in the Army as the nation's second most reliable and largest source of officers, after West Point.
He said that the Board would hear later in the meeting of the administration's recommendation to admit a Rat Class, next fall, of about 400, versus the two recent classes of respectively 450 and 440, and plans to shrink the size of the Corps from about 1340 to the 1240-1260 range. He said VMI must do this to preserve the integrity of the classes, their cohesion, and their distinctiveness. He said that to have entire companies of Rats living on the third stoop, and for the rest of the Corps to be dislocated to accommodate the ripples downward in Barracks, is unhealthy. He reminded the Board that Barracks is not configured to accommodate, in reasonable comfort, a Corps of 1350.
Gen. Bunting then turned to prepared remarks, saying:
There's a funny story about a new Rat who arrives at VMI ten years ago. On a sweltering August day he walks under Jackson Arch, his arms are filled with bags. Immediately he is set upon by angry Third Classmen. It takes him ten minutes to get to the fourth stoop. He is exhausted; his clothes are soaking wet; he barely has his suitcases; he barely has control of himself. He walks all the way down to room 493, walks into the room, sees his two Rat roommates, drops his bags, shuts the door and says "Thank God that's over!"
For our broader alumni family and for the public that is interested in VMI, the story perfectly suits their understanding of the coming of co-education to the Institute. From the Summer of 1996 to the end of the 1998 academic year, we clattered feverishly up the stoops, carrying everything that we could, working desperately to get to our objective. Both our viewing audience, and to some extent ourselves, had the notion that our difficulties would end with the conclusion of the first year of assimilation. We know now that our challenges are really only beginning.
Those challenges are not newsworthy or flashy, and there are really no episodes or incidents to report to you. But the work of assimilation, to use our term of art, has many years to run. And in the meantime the second year of co-education at VMI is going well, but not too well. There is a pervasive reluctance, especially among members of the Second Class, to accept women as fully-fledged members of the Corps. There is a sullenness among many cadets towards or about the 55 or 60 women now wearing the cadet grey, a certain meanspiritedness in their attitude towards them, studded by innumerable small, rarely major, incidents, all of which communicate a lack of "acceptance" for them.
Many of you are successful heads of successful companies and corporations, or members of corporate boards. I have to remind trustees of universities, and schools, and colleges that the changes that need to be made in them, and particularly at VMI, cannot be conjured suddenly, or ordered, or legislated; they must be implemented carefully over a long period of years, wrought painstakingly and slowly by the slow passage of time. The agents of change -- in addition to Col. Bissell and his associates -- being hundreds of seniors, and deans, supervisors, presidents, teachers, and students. I am afraid that time is even more uncompromisably a prerequisite here than powerful leadership, and committees, Corps meetings, stiff punishments, hortatory lectures. The Superintendent and Dean, the faculty, members of the administration simply must "be there for them," in the tired phrase -- we must be around to supervise, to watch, to encourage, to enspirit this process as it happens. The change from our condition as a military institute for men, to a military institute for women and men, must be supervised carefully.
It appears also that our female enrollment will level out at about eight or perhaps nine percent. We are having a very strong admissions year, as you know; but the number of female applications remains at the same level as last year and the year before. No doubt we are attracting a good mixture of talents and ambitions among female cadets -- my assigned orderly the other day was a brilliant young pre-med Third Classman, from Oklahoma -- but it is certain that large numbers of women (say, for example, 20 percent of the Corps) are not going to apply here in the foreseeable future. Remember, indeed, that the percentage of enrollment at the federal academies is only around 13 or 14 percent.
Another consequence of co-education -- one that we had not anticipated and one that is difficult to measure exactly -- is the determination by some significant part of the Corps to assure that the Rat System remain the "unshirted hell" that Ted Koppel called it, and, if anything, to make it even meaner. Again, cadet leadership at all levels, especially in the Class System, must address the challenge. Too many cadets sometimes confuse meanness with toughness. The best military organizations are tough, but they are also proud and happy. The Rat System, like the plebe system at West Point, functions best, and most honorably and usefully, when it is impersonally administered. There is no place for personal and malicious cruelty.
In the Executive Session I will address a personnel issue regarding the football team. Later this morning we will hear from Mr. Gottwald on the subject. In the meantime, let me say only these things: We must have football here -- we are a military institute, traditional, intensely masculine in our culture, even as we are becoming a school for women as well as for men, a place with a great heritage of intercollegiate football, and a place that cherishes and extols the lessons inculcated in this sport. The question is where and how should we play the game? What does our size and character suggest, or rather dictate? To finding the appropriate niche for us, in the sport of football, is our most urgent athletic necessity. During the remaining three and a half years of the current funding agreement with the Foundation and the Keydet Club, we will remain a I-AA scholarship school, playing teams that offer football scholarships in I-AA. But we have made a number of improvements and changes needed to strengthen our program. At the same time, we have directed the Athletic Director to ask for an immediate waiver from the Southern Conference, allowing us to play only four conference games instead of eight. Our relations with the Conference are good, as are relations with the other teams that are members of it. But in football, particularly against such schools as Georgia Southern and Appalachian State, I doubt whether we are ever going to be competitive -- given our size, our character, our beliefs, and our culture. We will, during this three-year waiver, if it is granted to us, we will also be investigating other conference affiliations, independent status, as well, playing against opponents from Divisions II and I-AA non-scholarship programs. It is idle to imagine that we can cure this sick man, that we have on our hands, by making him run up and down main street at the same time he is being treated with chemotherapy and radiation.
At the same time, I should point out that the family of small and mid-sized universities with which we invite comparison are playing this game successfully and honorably and happily for their communities: William and Mary, The Citadel, Wofford, Richmond, Colgate, Lehigh, indeed, the federal academies. The latter are faced with a family of problems similar to our own, but they have been able to resolve them. The challenge to us is large, it is frustrating, and it is the understanding on post that we must use these three years of the funding agreement to repair the program and make it competitive, and within the context of what VMI is, or leave a very proud football heritage behind us.
I conclude this morning by reminding the Board that the health of the Institute is robust, that our heart beats strongly, and that our work here -- at a time in which our national culture traduces everything we teach our cadets to live and to believe -- is more urgent than ever. We are very hard on ourselves, and we should be: we summon ourselves to terribly high standards and expectations -- sometimes not remembering it is to fulfill those expectations in the context of a time and culture which is so hostile to them.
We have before us a variety of challenges: academic, athletic, co-curricular, military. We will resolve and master them as we have resolved and mastered all of the others. I believe that our work and our mission is superior to that of other institutions, and that its success cannot usefully be measured only by academic ratings and admissions data. As Senator Gramm told us at commencement last year, the only measurement of the value and worth of an institution is the quality of her graduates. It is essential that we remind ourselves, as we face these problems -- which are large and which appear with such regularity -- that we fact them with confidence, and in the knowledge that our predecessors have solved similar challenges and that the results cannot be invalid.
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8. Mr. Saunders, chairman of the Academic Affairs Committee, reported on a meeting of his committee held the previous day.
a. Mr. Saunders reported that workshops on innovative teaching methods are being held under the direction of the Dean of the Faculty. He said that all faculty members will attend the workshops.
b. He stated that his committee and the Dean are examining ways to integrate undergraduate research opportunities into the curriculum.
c. He reported that VMI continues to attract a number of visiting international professors to the faculty. This year's visiting professors have come from Morocco, Taiwan, and Japan.
d. He stated that his committee and the Dean are continuing to evaluate Saturday morning activities, and that a report will be made in the future to the Board.
e. He stated that his committee and the Dean are examining a system for evaluating the faculty.
f. He stated that renovation of Scott Shipp Hall is underway.
g. Mr. Saunders then commented on the major in Modern Languages. He reminded the Board that the major in Modern Languages was abolished in 1995, but that a minor was continued. He said that when the State Council of Education (SCHEV) grants institutions autonomy to approve their own programs -- perhaps in 1999 -- VMI will consider the re-establishment of a major in Modern Languages.
h. He said that his committee discussed the differences between contract ROTC cadets (those on track for a commission) and non-contracted, special students in ROTC (those not pursuing a commission). The committee has asked the Dean to report in February on the requirement of non-contracted to enroll in ROTC classes and other possible uses of that time.
i. Mr. Saunders stated that his committee considered a list of changes in the faculty and staff, which will be brought before the Board for discussion and action in Closed Session.
j. There followed a lengthy discussion of House Joint Resolution 346, requesting Boards of Visitors of Virginia's public colleges and universities to "review their curriculum to incorporate American history as a requirement for a bachelor's degree." (The resolution was unanimously agreed to by the House of Delegates on 17 February 1998, and by the Senate on 10 March.)
Mr. Saunders provided background on VMI's switch some years ago from requiring all cadets to enroll in two semesters of "Western Civilization" (normally in the Rat year), to two semesters of "World History." He said that the Academic Board recently undertook a review of the history requirements in the curriculum, as requested in House Joint Resolution 346, and voted to recommend to the Board of Visitors that no changes be made in the current requirements. It was noted that all History and International Studies majors are currently required to take the American History survey course, and that 80 percent of graduates typically will have taken at least one course in American History.
The Board then entered into a lengthy discussion of the issues involved and concluded by asking Mr. Saunders's committee to continue to examine the question and to prepare a resolution for the Board's consideration at the Board's February meeting.
k. Mr. Saunders referred to the work of a committee appointed by the Superintendent to study the optimum size of the Corps, and said that his committee will address a number of issues imbedded in that study, including the in-state an out-of-state ratio and stoop integrity (maintaining, as much as possible, each stoop for a class). He said that his committee supports the intention of reducing the size of the Corps.
l. He said his committee is looking at the question of formalizing leadership education at VMI, a question that has come before the Board two times in the recent past -- the first in 1992, resulting in a gift of private funds to underwrite certain co-curricular leadership activities, and the second in the spring of 1998 with the creation of a minor in leadership. He said that the next logical step will be to look into expanding the leadership program, possibly by developing further structural support around merit scholarships for leadership, a chair in leadership for a visiting professor, and a service component. These matters are currently being considered by the Dean and the Academic Board, Mr. Saunders said, and in time will be referred to the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board and to the full Board.
m. He said his committee received a report on technological competency at VMI. The study is on-going, he said, and will be reported to the Board at a later date.
n. In conclusion, he observed that the attrition rate for Rats who participate in the Summer Transition Program (218 Rats this summer) is 6.4 percent, while the rate for others is 15 percent. He said that his committee will undertake to see if there are ways to encourage participation in the STP program, including financial support. Gen. Bunting informed the Board that he recently visited the Jessie Ball DuPont Foundation, and that VMI subsequently submitted a grant proposal to that foundation for financial support for out-of-state scholarships, particularly for minorities and females, to attend this program.
o. Mr. Rawls encouraged the committee to review VMI's grading policy to measure its effects upon graduates seeking jobs and entrance to graduate and professional school. Mr. Saunders said that his committee will look into the matter.
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9. Mr. Crotty, chairman of the Committee on Appeals, said he would make his report later in Closed Session.
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10. Mr. Copty, chairman of the Audit, Finance, and Planning Committee, reported on a meeting of the committee held the previous day.
a. Mr. Copty stated that the 1999 Appropriations Act requires the Board of Visitors to establish tuition, fees, and charges. The Appropriations Act requires that tuition and fee charges for non-resident students must be at least 100 percent of the average cost of education. In addition, state policy requires VMI to charge a fee for the use of its facilities by private individuals or contractors such as coaches conducting youth athletic camps during the summer. Whereupon, Mr. Copty made a motion on behalf of the committee to set tuition and fees for the 1999 Summer Session and the fees for 1999 Summer Athletic Camps. The motion passed. The tuition and fees schedules are filed with these minutes as Appendix I.
b. Mr. Copty informed the Board that the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is planning to replace the present bridge for Route 11 over the Maury River at the north side of the City of Lexington, commonly known as "East Lexington." He said that VDOT needs additional land to accommodate the widening of the road, and more particularly VDOT needs to acquire approximately 11,179.372 square feet (0.257 acres) of VMI's land on Route 11 directly across from the College Square Shopping Center. VDOT will pay VMI $6,435.00 for this transfer of land, he explained. He then referred to an Inter-Agency Land Transfer Agreement for Highway Right of Way to accomplish the transfer.
Whereupon, Mr. Copty made a motion, seconded by Mr. Witt, that the Board of Visitors approve the proposed Inter-Agency Land Transfer Agreement for the Virginia Department of Transportation for widening Route 11 North, and authorize the Superintendent and the Business Executive to do what is necessary to execute and implement the transfer. The motion passed. The Inter-Agency Land Transfer Agreement is filed in the office of the VMI Business Executive.
c. Mr. Copty stated that his committee reviewed VMI's financial statements for Fiscal Year 1997-1998. He said that the statements were prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and the Industry Audit Guide for Colleges and Universities of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He said the statements also conform to the requirements of the Comptroller of the Commonwealth of Virginia. He said that the preparation of the statements included an overall review of Institute internal controls and that no significant or material weaknesses were noted. Whereupon, Mr. Copty made a motion on behalf of the committee that the Board of Visitors approve VMI's financial statements for the fiscal year ended 30 June 1998. The motion passed.
d. Mr. Gottwald then addressed the issue of the use of the Board's private endowment fund. He said that the endowment has served over the years as a "safety net" for unanticipated expenses, but that the fund has been drawn down significantly to $1.9 million, from approximately $4 million. He emphasized that the Board has reached a point where it must find a source of contingency funds for unexpected needs and budget overruns.
e. Mr. Copty then brought the Athletic Operating Budget before the Board. He said that there was a shortfall in the 1997-98 athletic budget, as well as a need to fund several unfunded expenses in the 1998-1999 athletic budget, mainly resulting from the termination of the head football coach and six assistant coaches.
General Bunting said that he is committed to securing those funds, funds sufficient to discharge the activity described by Mr. Copty, not later than 30 June 1999 from sources other than the VMI budget or the VMI endowment.
Mr. Copty continued by saying that the immediate way the Board has to pay these bills is to draw from the Board of Visitors Unrestricted Endowment, to which Mr. Gottwald referred above. Whereupon, Mr. Copty made a motion, seconded by Mr. Lindsey, that the Board of Visitors approve using the sum of $590,097 of the Board of Visitors' Unrestricted Endowment to meet the athletic operating budget needs for Fiscal Year 1997-98 and Fiscal Year 1998-99, with the Superintendent undertaking an effort to replenish this amount from private donors to the extent possible. The motion passed.
f. Mr. Copty informed the Board that construction on Scott Shipp Hall will begin on 1 January
g. He said that the Barracks network is in place and that it provides cadets access to e-mail and the Internet. He added that it also provides the opportunity of telephones in cadet rooms should the administration see the need for them some time in the future.
h. He concluded by saying that the General Assembly's Higher Education Subcommittee on Higher Education and Funding Policies has issued a report, and that the report underscores the difference between VMI and other colleges in the state. He asked that all members receive a copy of the report.
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11. The Board recessed at 10:18 A.M.
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12. The Board reconvened at 10:35 A.M., absent Mr. Lindsey.
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13. Mr. Clarkson, chairman of the Cadet Affairs Committee, reported on a meeting of his committee held the previous day.
a. Mr. Clarkson said that Col. Green, chairman of the Institute Alcohol Task Force, briefed the Cadet Affairs Committee on the preparation in November of a "Comprehensive Plan for Alcohol and Drug Abuse at Virginia Military Institute." Mr. Clarkson explained that all state colleges and universities in Virginia are preparing such plans, at the request of the Attorney General. (A copy of the plan was laid before all members of the Board of Visitors.)
b. He said that Mr. White, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, reported on the work of an ad hoc committee that has been looking into 9th and 10th semester cadets in Barracks (a.k.a. "5th Year Men"). Mr. Clarkson read a number of recommendations from the committee intended to govern cadets in their 5th year at VMI, including a requirement that they room in the Concourse area and a list of special privileges for 5th year cadets. Mr. Clarkson then invited discussion by the Board.
Gen. Bunting began the discussion by stating that 5th year cadets have lived in the Concourse for a number of years. The majority of these cadets, he pointed out, typically have not been athletes but mechanical, electrical, and civil engineers who have found that having 144 hours to graduate, plus other activities and sometimes a semester abroad, makes it impossible for them to finish in four years. He added that this group also has included some athletes, but that they have been there not because of any "Red Shirting" policy at VMI. He emphasized that although some 5th year men are there because of disciplinary problems, the majority are there for other reasons, have done well, and are in good standing. He said that many of the recommendations of the committee are already in effect, and that he would like the Board of Visitors to acknowledge the recommendations formally.
The Board then discussed the issue of 5th year men in Barracks and the recommendations of the committee. Attention was focused on the implications of having 5th year men in Barracks and the possible effects that might result from creating a "Red Shirt" program for athletes. Mr. Gottwald emphasized that any form of a 5th year program, including a possible "Red Shirt" program, must be consistent with the mission of the Institute and with the final determination of the direction that the athletic program (and more specifically the football program) will take.
Mr. Gottwald stated that having an effective football program is important to VMI. He defined "effective" as meaning having a team that is successful and having an affordable program. He emphasized the need to keep every portion of VMI in its proper perspective, including the effect of the athletic program on every other program at the Institute and on the mission of the school. Mr. Saunders seconded this idea and stated that VMI's main effort must be directed at enhancing its academic program and reputation.
After a lengthy discussion, the Board took no action on the recommendations but agreed to reconsider them, and other issues involving 5th year programs at VMI, at the February meeting of the Board.
c. Mr. Clarkson said that his committee has looked at overcrowding in Barracks and its effect on the morale of the Corps. He said his committee is glad to see that VMI will reduce the size of the entering classes so as to relieve overcrowding.
d. He said that Rat attrition, 49 on this day, is the same as last year at this date.
e. He said that Col. Williams briefed his committee on plans for the new form of Breakout. --------------------------------------------------------------
14. Mr. Hudson, chairman of the Legislative Affairs Committee, reported on a meeting of his committee held the previous day.
a. Mr. Hudson said that Senator Thomas K. Norment, Jr. '68, met with his committee to discuss VMI's work in Richmond with the Virginia General Assembly, and to make suggestions. Senator Norment was especially supportive of VMI continuing its annual "Dominion Day" at the Institute.
b. He reminded the Board that the Institute's 1998 Legislative Reception, sponsored by the VMI Alumni Association, will be held on 11 February at The Library of Virginia. It will be held in conjunction with the 12-13 February Board of Visitors meeting, also in Richmond.
c. He said that Col. Rowe briefed his committee on VMI's General Fund budget request for the coming biennium, and on a recent visit to the Institute by the Senate Finance Committee.
d. Mr. Hudson said that his committee, like the other committees of the Board, is working to establish objectives for the year, and he invited other members of the Board to give him suggestions.
e. He concluded by saying that cadets have served as excellent spokesmen for the Institute with General Assembly members, and that they should continued to be invited to serve in this capacity whenever appropriate.
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15. Dr. Bowman, chairman of the Military Affairs Committee, reported on a meeting of his committee held the previous day.
a. Dr. Bowman told the Board that his committee received reports from the three ROTC departments.
Military Science Department. The Army ROTC unit has been awarded two of the top national Army ROTC achievement awards: the first for the highest overall score at the 1998 Army ROTC Summer Camp, and the second for the highest physical fitness scores. Dr. Bowman stated that these achievements indicate a significant improvement over the past several years, and he commended the cadets, the unit, and its head, Colonel Walter L Chalkley '72. In addition, he spoke of Fall FTX activities of the Army ROTC, which involved 753 contract and non-contract cadets. It is expected that about 50 first classmen will be commissioned. Aerospace Studies. Dr. Bowman reported that Air Force enrollment is down this year, but that steps are being taken by the new PAS Col. Thomas B. Moncure '72 to improve the situation and to expand his unit's involvement in Corps activities and Air Force programs.
Naval and Marine ROTC. He said that enrollment figures are below the Army, but that the program is a vigorous one. He said that the unit is very active on post, and that several cadets have been selected for advanced and selective programs offered by the Navy.
b. Dr. Bowman said that Col. Williams briefed the committee on issues in the Corps of Cadets. He said that ROTC participation on the Commandant's staff as Tactical Officers has increased; cadet uniforms have been issued to cadets in a more timely fashion this year as compared with previous years; the Fall FTX for non-contract cadets included such activities as athletic events and community service; and the Commandant's Training Time has been well used. Overall, Dr. Bowman said that there is excellent cooperation between the ROTC departments and the Commandant's Office.
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16. Mrs. Woodfin, chairman of the Nominating Committee, stated that there was no report to be made. The committee will meet in February.
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17. Mr. Witt, chairman of the Special Programs and Public Relations Committee, reported on a meeting of his committee held the previous day.
a. Mr. Witt made a motion, seconded by Mr. Rawls, that the name of the committee be changed to the "External Development Committee," and that the mission of the committee be expanded in the Bylaws by adding: "The Committee shall coordinate the ongoing fund raising interests and activities of the Institute and the Board of Visitors with those of the VMI Alumni Agencies, and shall identify and define, with the concurrence of the entire Board, Institutional needs and goals for specific capital campaigns conducted on behalf of the Institute." The motion passed.
b. Mr. Witt stated that his committee reviewed the current status of the Jonathan Daniels '61 Humanitarian Award proceedings and the New Market Committee's deliberations. He said that his committee has no recommendation for either award in 1999. As for the first presentation of the newly created Jonathan Daniels '61 Humanitarian Award, he said it is likely that it will not be made until the year 2000, if then. Nevertheless, he said that it is the committee's intention to honor Jonathan Daniels each year, on or about his birthday on 20 March.
c. Mr. Witt said that LTC Keith E. Gibson '77, Executive Director of VMI Museum Programs, briefed his committee on the VMI Museum and the New Market Battlefield Historical Park. Mr. Witt informed the Board that the VMI Museum attracts around 100,000 visitors each year, and that the committee wants to improve the access to the museum, in the basement of J.M. Hall. He also said that the New Market Hall of Valor continues to attract increasing numbers of visitors.
d. He said that his committee is setting goals and objectives for 1999. Chief among these is to maximize, in an appropriate fashion, the successes of assimilation.
e. He concluded by saying that his committee has begun to discuss the upcoming VMI Capital Campaign and the role the Board of Visitors may play in it.
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18. Dr. Adams, Board of Visitors representative to the Investment Committee, reported on a combined endowment total of approximately $227 million as of 30 November, a growth rate of 10.3 percent for the year to date. He reported that the VMI portfolio continues to perform very well in relation to all other institutions of higher education, and especially among those in Virginia.
He reported that Fiscal Year 1998 was the second highest year in fund raising success for the Foundation, with $14 million in gifts and $4.3 million in commitments. Annual Giving (combining Foundation and Keydet Club activity) realized an all-time high of $2.75 million in unrestricted giving for the year. Participation was off slightly -- a drop from 34 to 31 percent --he reported, but this was due in part to a new method of reporting numbers of donors.
He said that Annual Giving is up 15 percent in the first four months of Fiscal Year 1999. He commended the Class of 1973, who at their 25th Reunion in September set a significantly new record in gifts and commitments by announcing a total of $7.3 million, whereas the average for 25th reunion classes has been around $3 million.
Dr. Adams said that in his report to the External Affairs Committee he reported that Campaign planning has resulted in the creation of a "Campaign Executive Committee," which will hold its first meeting on 5 January in Richmond and which is charged with: 1) working on a draft of the Campaign Case Statement; 2) conducting a feasibility study. He said the next task will be to identify the rest of the Campaign leadership and to appoing a "Campaign Steering Committee." He said that the Board of Visitor's role will be to serve as outspoken advocates of VMI's needs.
Dr. Adams addressed recent statements by the Governor concerning the activities of private foundations in support of state institutions of higher education. Dr. Adams reminded the Board that the VMI Foundation and the VMI Keydet Club are registered in Virginia as private non-stock corporations, and that the Code of Virginia, Title 23-9.2, prevents lawmakers from taking into account levels of private foundation support for public institutions when deciding on state funding. He pointed out that private fund support for VMI last year nearly equaled state funding. He concluded by saying that if the state administration's goal is to insure accountability for the use of private funds, then VMI and the Foundation have already achieved this goal. He said that the VMI Foundation is monitoring developments closely.
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19. Mr. Marechal, Board representative to the VMI Athletic Council, presented his report.
a. Mr. Marechal, on behalf of the Athletic Council, thanked the Board for its continued support of intercollegiate athletics at VMI.
b. He said that the Council has met three time recently to review its duties and mission.
c. In October the Council interviewed several coaches.
d. In November, the cheerleading squad appeared before the Council. Mr. Marechal commended the cheerleaders for the job they have done this year.
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20. Col. Barr reported that the Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission will meet for the third time later in the week and will render a report.
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21. At 11:55 A.M., a motion was made by Mr. Witt, seconded by Dr. Bowman, that the Board enter into executive session pursuant to Section 2.1-344, Paragraph 1, of the Code of Virginia, for the purpose of discussing employment, appointment, promotion, performance, and salaries of specific employees of the Virginia Military Institute; and pursuant to Section 2.1-344, Paragraph 2, for the purpose of discussing disciplinary matters relating to specific former cadets. The motion passed.
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22. At 12:28 P.M., the President of the Board instructed the Secretary to let the record show that the Board reconvened in open session, pursuant to Section 2.1-344, Paragraph 1, of the Code of Virginia, having discussed employment, appointment, promotion, performance, and salaries of specific employees of the Virginia Military Institute; and pursuant to Section 2.1-344, Paragraph 2, having discussed disciplinary matters relating to specific former cadets.
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23. On motion of Ms. Blair, seconded by Mr. Saunders, the Board unanimously passed the following resolution:
CERTIFICATION OF EXECUTIVE MEETING
WHEREAS, the Board of Visitors of the Virginia Military Institute has convened an executive meeting on 5 December 1998, pursuant to an affirmative recorded vote and in accordance with the provisions of The Virginia Freedom of Information Act; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 2.1-344.1 of the Code of Virginia requires a certification by the Board of Visitors of the Virginia Military Institute that such executive meeting was conducted in conformity with Virginia law;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Visitors of the Virginia Military Institute hereby certifies that, to the best of each member's knowledge, (i) only public business matters lawfully exempted from the open meeting requirements by Virginia law were discussed in the executive meeting to which this certification resolution applies, and (ii) only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening the executive meeting were heard, discussed, or considered by the Board of Visitors of the Virginia Military Institute.
VOTE:
AYES: 16
NAYS: 0
Absent during the meeting and/or during the vote:
Mr. Lindsey
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24. A motion was made by Mr. Saunders, seconded by Mr. Rawls, that the Board approve faculty and staff changes as presented. The motion passed.
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25. A motion was made by Mr. Crotty, seconded by Ms. Blair, that the Board affirm the Honor Court conviction of Cadet A. The motion passed.
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26. Mr. Gottwald then addressed the Board on the working of its committee system. He said that Board members can become more useful to the Institute by becoming more knowledgeable about the operations of the Institute, and that the way to accomplish this goal is to focus on committee action. To this end, he said that committee chairmen met the previous day and agreed to provide more time for committees to be more thorough and to prepare annual goals and objectives together with their staff contacts. By this means, he said, committees can better anticipate problems and seek solutions. In addition, he called on committees to measure where the Institute stands in the year against long-range goals and objectives and VMI's annual plans. He said that the February meeting of the Board, to be held in Richmond, will be an organizational effort. He asked all members to make suggestions or propose goals and objectives to committee chairmen.
Mr. Gottwald also called to the Board's attention a tutorial, contained in each members open meeting agenda booklet, on reading the Institute's financial statements. He commended the tutorial to each member of the Board and to each committee.
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27. There being no other business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 12:35 P.M.
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Edwin L. Dooley, Jr.
Secretary