April 2021 Board of Visitors summary of action and discussions

The James Madison University Board of Visitors met Friday, April 16 in the Festival Conference and Student Center. 

The following is a summary of actions taken by the board and key areas of discussion at the board meeting: 

Approved the Feb. 19, 2021 Board of Visitors meeting minutes; Executive Committee meeting minutes of March 11, 2021; and easements to the City of Harrisonburg and Lumos Networks, Inc. 

Accepted committee reports from the Academics & Student Life, Advancement, Athletics, Audit and Finance & Physical Development committees; 

Approved the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies major; 

Approved the Lab School @ JMU; 

Approved the following summer 2021 and 2022 summer tuition and fees;

2021 Proposed Summer Tuition and Fees

Approved the 2021-22 tuition and fees;

FY 2021-22 Proposed Undergraduate On-Campus Tuition & Fees – Freshman, Sophomore, Junior & Senior Level

FY 2021-22 Proposed Undergraduate On-Campus Tuition & Fees – Non-Madison Pledge Level Student

Approved the 2021-22 budget; 

Heard an update on the activities associated with Covid19 from student affairs and academic affairs; 

Heard an update from the Task Force on Racial Equity; 

Was told by President Jonathan R. Alger during his President’s Report: 

Freshman applicants for 2021 are at a total of 22,010 with 13,420 in-state, 8,235 out-of-state and 335 International and of that total, 6,661 come from under-represented populations; 

New survey of business executives and hiring managers shows that employers have confidence in higher education and value college degrees, with employer support of Liberal Arts and Civic Education; 

College of Arts and Letters cohort hire is designed to expand JMU teaching and research expertise in racial and social justice, minority cultures and critical race studies and to elevate curricular, intellectual and faculty diversity across the humanities and social sciences, as well as to bring in scholars with a built-in intellectual and collegial network; 

Rubén Graciani has been named as the dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts and joined JMU in 2017 as a professor and school director for the School of Theatre and Dance and recently served as interim dean; 

Linda Thomas, Ph.D., has been named as the dean of the Graduate School and joined JMU in 2018 as a professor and academic unit head for the School of Integrated Sciences; 

JMU received the American Association of Geographers Award for Bachelors Program Excellence and was recognized for remarkable growth and high-impact teaching practices. AAG also perceived a strong sense of community and collegiality within the program as well as a strong connection between the program and its alumni; 

History Professor Michael Gubser is one of 184 new recipients of Guggenheim Fellowships, which support exceptional individuals in pursuit of scholarship. This fellowship will support research and writing of a book about the lack of attention to the historical context of societies in international development theory and practice since 1945; 

School of Media Arts and Design Professor Elisabeth Kvernen worked with Harrisonburg High School teacher Mary Strickler and students on a project to find and share images that captured experience during the past year and titled it, “Life in the Face of COVID.” This was supported by a grant from the Harrisonburg Education Foundation; 

The Office of Research and Scholarship has appointed Dayna Henry, faculty in Health Sciences, as the coordinator of student research, which will provide an emphasis on supporting, mentoring and showcasing JMU student research, scholarship and creative activities across all of Academic Affairs. Updates were also provided on prestigious scholarships and fellowships successes, and on Summer Student Research and Scholarship Programs; 

An overview of the proposed new Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) was provided, which is a five-year plan dedicated to improving an aspect of student learning or the environment for student success. The QEP is a requirement of our accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and part of the upcoming 2023 decennial reaffirmation; 

The Unleashed Campaign has surpassed its $200M goal 17 months early with the support of 57,500+ donors, and the major focus will turn to scholarships; 

JMU will work with the Virginia Council of Presidents to advocate for a comprehensive approach to democracy education; 

Swimming and Diving has earned their 4^th straight CAA Championship and Women’s Golf their 5^th CAA Championship; 

The following coaches were named CAA Coaches of the Year; Lauren Steinbrecher, Volleyball; Mark Byington, Men’s Basketball; Paul Zazenski, Men’s Soccer; Dane Pedersen, Women’s Swimming and Diving; and John Wolsh, Diving. 

JMU Football is ranked #1 and Men’s Soccer and Women’s Softball are both ranked in the Top 25; 

Thanks to capacity changes from the Governor’s Office, JMU is able to shift to an in-person commencement with eight ceremonies over three days and a university-wide virtual ceremony; 

The university will return to in-person instruction in the fall, and we expect further loosening of restrictions and an increase in on-campus activity.

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