<p>So, as an OOS parent of a prospective student and not being up on everything happening in Virginia all the time, I still have of course have read about the issues with BOV and the UVa administration last year, and the accreditation warning - as well as fiscal warnings and tuition increases. I guess my question is: how big of a deal or problem is all of this. Is it just bravado or much ado about very little - or is there a real possibility of a faculty and accreditation crisis happening within the next year or two or costs rising sharply? There are plenty of things that can simply be minor concerns when selecting the college admission offer to accept - but potential loss of accreditation is a fairly serious one. What is the general take in Virginia? Thanks.</p>
<p>UVA is more likely to be leveled by an asteroid than lose its accredidation.</p>
<p>UVA is being squeezed by declining state funding, which can be said about all state universities. As compared to almost every state university in the country UVA is in hugely better shape – big endowment, big OOS enrollment, tons of applications, high selectivity in admissions, etc.</p>
<p>The question about UVA (and Cal and Michigan, etc.) is whether it will be able to keep up with the elite private university Joneses over the next several decades.</p>
<p>That is something your kid (like me) might fret about as a UVA alumni. But zero impact on your kid being a UVA student.</p>
<p>Thanks. That’s what I’ve had several others tell me as well - but they’re more removed from the situation. Always hard to tell what’s real and what’s media-play when you’re not involved. Would seem unfathomable that it would be allowed to devolve into a real problem - but you never with power and politics.</p>
<p>Well stated NW.</p>
<p>The following is of interest to all UVa families. This talks about a four year plan that is being proposed with minimal tuition increases but moving further into differential tuition such as what McIntire already employs. SEAS is already moving this direction, adding a fee this year (I believe NURS did as well?). The BOV is not totally embracing this and has hesitation so there is no way to know which direction they will go when they vote in May for next years tuition plan. It’s anyone’s guess, however I would not be surprised to see a higher tuition increase then proposed in the four year plan with further movement towards differential tuition.</p>
<p><a href=“http://news.virginia.edu/content/uva-administration-presents-funding-plan-board-visitors[/url]”>http://news.virginia.edu/content/uva-administration-presents-funding-plan-board-visitors</a></p>
<p>For OOS, UVA used to be a screaming deal as compared to private college costs. But as the state funding has declined over the years, most of that deal has disappeared. </p>
<p>OOS TR&B is now about $50k, which is 90+% of sticker price at fancy private colleges. So from a market perspective, UVA really can’t jack up OOS tuition very much even if it wanted to. OOS tuition will keep going up, but I think it will be maintained at a slight discount to whatever the private school sticker price is.</p>
<p>Fortunately, there has been a great deal of turnover on the Board of Visitors since the conflict of last summer. The Rector (Chair) will be replaced in that position in a couple months, but she will stay on the board. Two of her right hand men resigned. </p>
<p>The board now actually includes two persons with decades of experience running public universities and another person with decades of experience running a major medical center. Imagine that - board members who are experts in what they are overseeing!</p>
<p>As stated above, the accreditation board very clearly said that they were not threatening UVa’s accreditation. They were trying to kick the board in the butt so the board follows its own rules.</p>
<p>The end result of the conflict of last summer was that the university community was much more united. Many alums reconnected with the U. because of it, and donations to the U. are going very well. However, if President Sullivan had not been un-resigned, it would have been very divisive.</p>