Board of Visitors Summary of Discussion and Actions

The James Madison University Board of Visitors met Friday, April 5, 2013 in the Board Room of the university’s Festival Conference and Student Center.

The following is a summary of key areas of discussion at the board meeting:

• Received the president’s report from Mr. Jonathan Alger during which the board was told:
  • “Why Madison?” listening continued at events in New York, Tampa, Charlottesville, Virginia Beach as well as at on-campus events;
  • Madison Week was intended to send a welcoming, community-oriented message and included a wide array of activities culminating with the inauguration;
  • The SACSCOC visit has concluded with the onsite team finding no compliance issues and making no recommendations;
  • The university had a successful General Assembly session;
  • Ms. Maggie Burkhart Evans has begun her new role as executive assistant to the president;
  • The search for the dean of the College of Business is ongoing;
  • May commencement exercises will be May 2 – 4.  JMU alumnus Mike Rayburn will be the convocation speaker on Thursday evening;
  • JMU received 23,902 applications for fall enrollment this year, an increase of 3.2 percent, admitted 57 percent with a target freshman class of 4,170;
  • Dr. Olga Pierrakos (engineering) and Dr. Laura Taalman (mathematics and statistics) were awarded the 2013 SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Awards;
  • JMU will launch a doctor of nursing practice program in spring 2014;
  • JMU was accepted as a founding member of the Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities;
  • The College of Business was ranked 29^th overall and 11^th among public institutions in the Bloomberg BusinessWeek rankings of undergraduate business schools;
  • Senior Marlee Flynt was named Virginia Nursing Student of the Year, the third consecutive year that a JMU student has won the award;
  • The JMU Debate Team is currently ranked in the top five by the National Debate Tournament’s National Sweepstakes ranking, the Cross Examination Debate Association and the American Debate Association;
  • The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified University Park at the silver level;
  •  The women’s swimming and diving team achieved Scholar All-American status for the fall 2012 semester;
  • Sophomore swimmer Sin Hye Won participated in the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in breaststroke;
  • The women’s basketball team made it to the elite eight of the National Invitation Tournament and finished the season 25-11;
  • The men’s basketball team participated in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 19 years, won their first-round game and finished the season 21-15.
• Received a strategic planning update presented by Dr. Mark Warner, senior vice president for student affairs and university planning and Dr. Brian Charette, associate vice president for university planning;
• Received General Assembly update presented by Mr. Charles King, senior vice president for administration and finance;
• Received a presentation about the university’s six-year capital outlay plan (2014-2020) from Mr. Charles King, senior vice president for administration and finance;
• Received a presentation on tuition and fees from Dr. Jerry Benson, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs and Mr. Charles King, senior vice president for administration and finance.

The Board of Visitors took the following actions:

• Approved the January 18, 2013 Board of Visitors meeting minutes;
• Approved committee reports from the Athletics, Audit, Development, Education and Student Life, and Finance and Physical Development committees;
• Approved revisions to the faculty handbook;
• Approved a military registration process;
• Approved easements to the city of Harrisonburg for the Reservoir Improvement Project and, on behalf of the JMU Foundation, to JMU for utility work;
• Approved Public Private Educational Facilities Infrastructure Act guidelines;
• Approved the Six-Year Capital Outlay Plan (2014 – 2020);
• Approved tuition and fees for the 2013 – 2014 academic year;
  

• Approved the purchase of real property at 709 Locust Hill Drive, Harrisonburg for a purchase price of $315,000.