<p>It really terrifies me the board would like more online classes and in-state students. In short, the reputation of UVA is at risk of being a VT/Penn State. As an alumnus, it really does scare me. I would rather see UVA take in more OOS students or go private to raise more money. However, the first solution would not be well taken in Richmond.</p>
<p>One of the reasons UVA has financial troubles is because the two biggest moneymakers – Darden and the law school – are private and basically pay low franchise fees to the University for the privilege of using the UVA name and grounds. See eg, Chapter 7 of David Kirp’s book, Shakespeare, Einstein and the Bottom Line, telling the Darden story. How ironic then if the private wing that contributes to the university’s financial predicament led this putsch of a very public minded president. Here’s hoping the next president reigns in those two schools and forces them back into the public UVA.</p>
<p>Right now, the BOV is split evenly between Dem and Rep appointees, with some Dem appointees coming up for re-appointment soon. Rector and Vice Rector are both Dem appointees. </p>
<p>But this looks to be more of a disagreement between corporate/business types on the BOV and the academic types than it is Dems vs Reps. Regardless of who is on the BOV, the BOV has to respond to the agenda that is being set by Richmond.</p>
<p>barboza – see the link to “tenure” at the bottom of the page you linked above: [Tenure</a> List, Board of Visitors, University of Virginia](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/bov/tenurelist.html]Tenure”>http://www.virginia.edu/bov/tenurelist.html)
Appointments after 1/2010 were made by McDonnell. </p>
<p>The Angelo piece is interesting as it lays out a number of pieces of information. I am somewhat troubled though that a Ph.d candidate would be so quick to draw conclusions from information that could just as likely be random coincidences. To then publish her “conclusions” without more back-up, is not very professorial. </p>
<p>Then again, I suspect this whole episode will be studied in PR classes for years come to demonstrate what happens in an information vacuum and as a “what not to do” in crisis communications.</p>
<p>northwesty – your view is supported by other Dem appointees who have been quoted as confirming the decision was unanimously supported by the BOV.</p>
<p>A couple thoughts on the new Washington Post article linked above, which summarizes part of a memo President Sullivan recently prepared for the board.</p>
<ol>
<li> She warns about the high number of upcoming faculty retirements. She has also made that statement publicly, and has said that the highest need of the U. is to hire more faculty. Many positions went empty because of attrition and because the numbers of faculty have not kept up with enrollment increases - not to mention planned phased future increases in enrollment. This is not a reason to fire someone - it is a reason to do more hiring. This is an excellent time to hire new faculty, because so few other universities are hiring. </li>
</ol>
<p>(I’d personally recommend supplementing regular faculty with some full-time instructors with benefits who would have a heavy teaching load but no research requirements. Those instructors could also take some of the advising responsibilities off of the professors. These instructors would be chosen purely for their teaching ability, and would free up the brilliant profs for the upper level classes where they can be most effectively used).</p>
<ol>
<li>She promotes the idea of hybrid lower level classes with a mix of digital offerings and classroom time. That is actually a very logical approach. I would much rather sit in my dorm room and watch the best UVa professor give a lecture online than sit in a 500 or 600 student auditorium and hear the same lecture from a mediocre professor. However, under this model, the classroom time is not eliminated, but instead is used much more productively - with more interactive discussion and questions instead of sitting passively.</li>
</ol>
<p>However, it is a very big difference between using some online content for existing students, vs. possibly selling the University’s brand for online classes run by a corporation for people who are not enrolled as students in Cville. That is one of the alternative theories that is being raised because of the vacuum of answers from the board.</p>
<p>One person said faculty should investigate whether they retain any intellectual property rights for their lectures.</p>
<hr>
<p>the best comment under the new Wash Post article was the simplest:</p>
<p>“President Sullivan wouldn’t do something the board wanted her to do! Something the board does not want you to know about.”</p>
<p>It should also be noted that the lower level math and language classes at UVa already have a large online component.</p>
<hr>
<p>[Sullivan</a> saw ‘reputation gap’ at UVa | Daily Progress](<a href=“http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2012/jun/13/sullivan-saw-reputation-gap-uva-ar-1986710/#fbcomments]Sullivan”>http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2012/jun/13/sullivan-saw-reputation-gap-uva-ar-1986710/#fbcomments)</p>
<p>The Daily Progress looks at the memo on UVa’s academic issues that President Sullivan recent prepared and discussed with the Board and compares it to Dragas’s recent statement. One person half-jokingly said it looks like Dragas plagarized Sullivan. This info doesn’t shed any light on differences in philosophy.</p>
<p>In that memo, President Sullivan said the Board had specifically told her not to prepare academic strategic plans because the faculty was angry that the previous plans had never been carried out.</p>
<p>“Hybrid courses will be common for introductory courses, providing online resources for students to review material (such as math modules) and also providing asynchronous means to complete the introductory courses that other students will have completed in high school,”</p>
<p>Sounds a bit like the (dreaded) Math Emporium at VT, lol.</p>
<p>My kids just received an email from Michael Strine who says, “The Board of Visitors’ action is resolute and authoritative. The BoV will take the next steps on Monday to put an interim President in place and will follow with the establishment of a deliberate, principled and thoughtful search process for our next President.”</p>
<p>According to an email I received from UVA Today, the meeting is Monday at 3:00 in the Board Room of the Rotunda. “The meeting, which will be held in the board room in the Rotunda, will be in executive session. When the session is completed, the board will meet in open session and adjourn by 5 p.m. There will be no opportunity for public comment.”</p>
<p>The email from Mr. Strine still did not address any of the issues raised or bring any clarity to this situation.</p>
<p>
This was my first thought too guillaume!</p>
<p>I read that email from Strine to be saying - don’t bother complaining, it is too late, no one is going to change their mind, and don’t bother trying to show up when the Board meets on Monday, because no one will listen to you. That is all. Now go back to your lives, citizens.</p>
<p>I suppose this is what happens when public college board members are appointed by a governor rather than voted in by the electorate. This is little to no accountabilty to the public.</p>
<p>Charlie, I agree. Another patronizing email that basically suggests that everyone should be quiet and let them just have their way with no further discussion. I hope to attend the meeting anyway, even though they will not listen to any public comments. I hope that many people show up and there is a crowd of people outside the Rotunda in a show of support for due process, transparency and truth.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/14/us/tension-builds-over-ouster-of-university-of-virginia-president.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/14/us/tension-builds-over-ouster-of-university-of-virginia-president.html</a></p>
<p>Of course Dragas and Kington would decline to comment to a news source as illustrious as the NYT, they’re all cowards.</p>
<p>Oldgrad: I’m also an alum and a parent of a current student. </p>
<p>I wish I could be there. I suggest making some signs with witty slogans - the media loves them. Bring one sign for oneself and a few others to hand out to others.</p>
<p>Anybody have some idea for chants or signs?</p>
<h2>Rally being planned - probably around 2:30 Monday afternoon, probably on the University Av. side of the Rotunda, right before the secret closed-door Board of Visitors meeting being held inside at 3.</h2>
<p>Your President Sullivan story of the day:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?print=1&id=18300[/url]”>http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?print=1&id=18300</a></p>
<p>Excerpt:</p>
<p>"One student asked about the transition of new Provost and Executive Vice President John Simon to U.Va. Sullivan responded by saying that after she met Simon, she came home and said to her husband, “Now I can die.” </p>
<p>While that alarmed her husband, Sullivan quipped, she explained her reasoning she was relieved to know that Simon could lead U.Va. to success even if she were not around. "</p>
<p>Thanks for the rally update, Charlie. I will make plans to attend.</p>
<p>Here is the full text of the vision for the future of UVa that President Sullivan recently provided to the Board of Visitors. Apparently, this document was not intended to be made public, and therefore is more honest than most planning documents. </p>
<p>[President</a> Sullivan’s strategic plan to the Board of Visitors | The Cavalier Daily](<a href=“http://www.cavalierdaily.com/2012/06/14/president-sullivans-strategic-plan-to-the-board-of-visitors/#comment-191006]President”>http://www.cavalierdaily.com/2012/06/14/president-sullivans-strategic-plan-to-the-board-of-visitors/#comment-191006)</p>
<p>It appears very well thought-out to me. Meanwhile, Dragas is saying they fired Sullivan because of a lack of vision. Another coupleader said they needed more semi-strategic activating strategizing or something like.</p>
<p>JHS just made an interesting post on another forum (there are at least 2 other threads addressing this ). He said he looked at the Board of UVa as compared to other schools (Harvard,Princeton,Michigan). UVa’s Board is heavily finance/business/political contributor types. The other Boards are much more balanced with business people but also academics, non profit people,etc.</p>
<p>More strategerizing. Dynamic strategery. On The Sabre they mocked the McKinsey- MBA speak that generates such nonsense.</p>