The James Madison University Board of Visitors met at 1 p.m. on Friday, September 29, 2000, in the Board Room in Chandler Hall. Following is a summary of actions taken by the board and key areas of discussion at the board meeting:

• Set tuition for summer school, leaving fees unchanged for in-state undergraduates with slight increases for out-of-state undergraduates and all graduate students. The tuition costs per academic hour will remain at $52 for in-state undergraduates and increase from $240 to $248 per hour for out-of-state undergraduates. Tuition for graduate students increases from $111 per academic hour to $114 per hour for Virginians and $391 to $402 for out-of-state students.

• Welcomed a new member to the JMU board. Robert L. Testwuide of Vienna was appointed to the board just prior to the meeting by Gov. Jim Gilmore. Testwuide, a 1988 graduate of JMU, is a vice president and certified financial planner with Merrill Lynch in Reston. Testwuide filled the board spot previously held by Suzanne B. "Renny" Humphrey of Chesterfield.

• Re-appointed to the board were Helen R. Blackwell of Arlington; Pablo Cuevas of Broadway; Joseph C. Farrell of Richmond; and William S. Jasien of Clifton.

• The board heard the following:
  • A summary of the university's 1999-2000 accomplishments from President Linwood H. Rose.
  • An update on the accreditation process of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools from Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness Robert L. Scott.
  • A report on current capital projects from Vice President for Administration and Finance Charles W. King Jr.
  • A presentation about JMU public radio station WMRA-FM from Dean of the College of Arts and Letters Richard Whitman.

• Approved eligibility requirements for the student member of the board. The student member must:
  • Be a full-time student at the point of election and during both semesters as a board member.
  • Must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.
  • Must have earned 60 credit hours by the end of the semester in which the election is held.

• Approved a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Communications Sciences and Disorders. The proposed program will now go to the State Council of Higher Education for consideration.

• Approved an undergraduate degree in E-Commerce. The proposed program will now go to the State Council of Higher Education for consideration.

• Approved a compensation plan which allows for a $1,000 promotion increase for reaching the rank of assistant professor; $1,750 for associate professor; and $2,500 for professor.

• Approved submitting the following budget requests to the Commonwealth for consideration by the 2001 General Assembly:
  • $8.5 million for salary and operating funds for 68 positions to meet the demands of current enrollment
  • $27.3 million for a new chemistry and physics classroom/office building to be constructed east of Interstate 81.
  • $8.8 million in renovation funds for Harrison Hall.