March Board of Visitors Discusses Presidential Search, Tuition
Two-day meeting covered issues from enrollment to academic suspension policy
Laura Beth Stricker
Issue date: 4/1/09 Section: News
Longwood's Board of Visitors (BOV) discussed academic policies, along with construction plans and ideas about tuition for the upcoming academic year during its quarterly meeting on Friday and Saturday, March 26-27, 2009.
The board first discussed progress on the presidential search. Rector Marge Connelly said that by March 2010 the new president will be identified. A campus-wide e-mail was sent out Friday afternoon announcing the 14 representatives of the presidential search and screening committee, consisting of many BOV members, along with several faculty and staff, and Student Government Association (SGA) President Caitlin Revene. Connelly also announced the timeline of meetings that will be held with faculty, staff and students. The presidential search Web site went online Monday, March 30, with a link on the Longwood homepage.
The BOV discussed several items discussed in academic and student affairs. Several revisions to the student handbook were scheduled to be approved, but it was announced approval would be pushed back to the BOV's June meeting.
Tuition for the upcoming academic year was discussed at length. Several suggestions were made, but there were no final decisions made at this meeting. The purpose of the discussion, according to Connelly, was to start "thinking about a general direction." The meeting will be held immediately after commencement. One of the main reasons nothing was approved at this meeting was the budget veto session in the General Assembly of Virginia will not be held until Wednesday, April 8. Connelly suggested the BOV look at extremes on each end of the spectrum, examining a zero percent increase to a 10 percent increase. Longwood President Patricia Cormier said the issue the university has is "we don't control our budget, there is so much restraint. We have no predictability from year to year." Kathy Worster, vice president for administration and finance, said the state is "supposed to pay 63 percent of the cost [of education], but with the budget cuts they are only paying 51 percent currently." The bottom line for tuition is that it will be a multi-year thought process, and Worster said tuition "won't be less than $16,500" next year. The figure of $16,500 covers both semesters in the 2009-2010 academic year.
The board first discussed progress on the presidential search. Rector Marge Connelly said that by March 2010 the new president will be identified. A campus-wide e-mail was sent out Friday afternoon announcing the 14 representatives of the presidential search and screening committee, consisting of many BOV members, along with several faculty and staff, and Student Government Association (SGA) President Caitlin Revene. Connelly also announced the timeline of meetings that will be held with faculty, staff and students. The presidential search Web site went online Monday, March 30, with a link on the Longwood homepage.
The BOV discussed several items discussed in academic and student affairs. Several revisions to the student handbook were scheduled to be approved, but it was announced approval would be pushed back to the BOV's June meeting.
Tuition for the upcoming academic year was discussed at length. Several suggestions were made, but there were no final decisions made at this meeting. The purpose of the discussion, according to Connelly, was to start "thinking about a general direction." The meeting will be held immediately after commencement. One of the main reasons nothing was approved at this meeting was the budget veto session in the General Assembly of Virginia will not be held until Wednesday, April 8. Connelly suggested the BOV look at extremes on each end of the spectrum, examining a zero percent increase to a 10 percent increase. Longwood President Patricia Cormier said the issue the university has is "we don't control our budget, there is so much restraint. We have no predictability from year to year." Kathy Worster, vice president for administration and finance, said the state is "supposed to pay 63 percent of the cost [of education], but with the budget cuts they are only paying 51 percent currently." The bottom line for tuition is that it will be a multi-year thought process, and Worster said tuition "won't be less than $16,500" next year. The figure of $16,500 covers both semesters in the 2009-2010 academic year.
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