Oops.  UVA is back in the news again.  A year later. (I last reported on the UVA shenanigans in August of last year.) For a few reasons.  It seems that Helen Dragas, while remaining on the board, will not be the Rector comes 30 June.  The first black Rector of the University, George K. Martin, will take her place on 1 July 2013.  Mr. Martin is an attorney with McGuireWoods, one of the most prominent of Virginia Law firms, where he manages the Richmond (and headquarters) office.  While he does practice law (corporate), he has been intimately involved in the administration of the firm, which will hopefully put him in great stead to take the reins of the UVa Board.

Governor McDonnell also chose William H. Goodwin, Jr. to become Vice-Rector.  Goodwin is a wealthy businessman (worth between $ 100 million and $ 1 billion), heading CCA Industries, which owns several hotels (The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond- the one Margaret Mitchell used to model the staircase in Gone With The Wind, and the Keswick  Hall with its Arnold Palmer golf course in Charlottesville, plus others), among other entities.  This is Goodwin’s second stint on the board, having been appointed by George Allen (during which tenure he became Vice-Rector- but never progressed to Rector, when Mark Warner did not reappoint him to the Board).

Unfortunately, Goodwin is not happy with the Freedom of Information Act (which in Virginia is only free for Commonwealth residents) nor the Open Meetings rules that obtain in the Commonwealth.  Which does not bode well against a recurrence of recent events that transpired with Dragas and Virginia Sullivan, the UVA President, as I reported last year.

Moreover, the Board has just approved a new budget for UVA, which cut funds and positions at the prestigious institution.  This is a real problem, since it is becoming clear that UVA has been “coasting” for the past 15 years and is now paying the piper for those decisions.  Art and Science Group LLC has been analyzing the situation, which is part of UVA’s efforts to develop a new strategic plan (due this fall).

The highly regarded consulting firm recommended hiring more faculty (not letting them go) and investing in the undergraduate experience (not going to happen with a decrease in funds).    They also recognized that the governance of the University is flawed, posing ongoing threats to the school’s prestige.

Nevertheless, President Sullivan still feels that the undergraduate experience can be improved, distinguished faculty retained (replacing those retiring), picking new research priorities, involve new teaching methodology (incorporating technology, if and when it becomes available), all while keeping tuition affordable.  These priorities were part of the preview of the strategic plan that was outlined after the last Board meeting.

That last factor (affordable tuition) has been an issue, since the Commonwealth (as is true at many state institutions of higher learning) hatcheted the appropriations for UVA.  Much of this shortage has been alleviated by raising tuition and seeking donations from alumni, which is akin to what the University of Michigan has been doing.  The difference is that Virginia’s finances are in much better shape than those of Michigan.

So, I wonder how easily these lofty objectives will be met, with funding still being cut.  And, it will be harder to discern, if Goodwin’s philosophy pervades, keeping more information from the public, how progress is developing.

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