The James Madison University Board of Visitors met Friday, April 26, 2019, in the Board Room of Madison’s 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. 8, 2019, Board of Visitors meeting minutes;
• Approved committee reports from the Academics & Student Life, Advancement, Athletics, Audit, and Finance & Physical Development committees;
• Received a report on the College of Science and Mathematics from Cynthia Bauerle, dean of the college;
• Received reports from the Department of Military Science on Air Force ROTC from Col. Patrick Donley, commander U.S. Air Force ROTC Detachment 890, and Cadets Steffanie David and Alexandre Paulston and on Army ROTC from Cpt. Andre Burrell, assistant professor of military science, and Cadets Gordon Hadley and Leah Ritchey;
• Approved the creation of six new education majors that meet new state licensure requirements:
  • Bachelor of Science in elementary education
  • Bachelor of Science in inclusive early childhood education
  • Bachelor of Science in middle education
  • Bachelor of Science in special education
  • Bachelor of Science in secondary education
  • Bachelor of Science in teaching English to speakers of other languages;
• Approved the creation of a bachelor of science in information technology;
• Approved a resolution to pursue a performance plan pilot in strategic talent development in the areas of data science and technology, nursing and the K-12 education pipeline;
• Approved a resolution related to the Tech Talent Investment Program;
• Approved five easements for water line improvements, utilities and public access;
• Approved tuition and fees for the 2019-20 academic year:
  • FY 2019-20 Undergraduate Tuition & Fees – Freshmen and Sophomores

FY 2019-20 Undergraduate Tuition & Fees – Juniors and Seniors

FY 2019-20 Graduate Tuition & Fees

• Approved the 2019-20 budget:

(numbers are millions)

• Met in closed session;
• Approved the purchase of real property located at 704 Hickory Hill Drive in Harrisonburg for $285,000.
• Elected board officers for the 2019-20 term. Maribeth Herrod has been elected to serve as rector and Lara Major has been elected to serve as the board’s vice rector. Donna Harper, vice president for Access and Enrollment Management, will serve as secretary.

Was told by President Alger during his President’s Report:

• The last speaker in the 2018-19 Madison Vision Series was Barbara Schaal, dean of the faculty of Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis;
• Best-selling author John Grisham will host his third John Grisham Writers’ Hour with presidential biographer Jon Meacham on Sept. 12;
• Students in the Hacking4Diplomacy program were invited to present their findings to the NATO Allied Transformation Command in Norfolk and the NATO Think Tank Conference in Croatia;
• Students competed in the International Business Ethics and Sustainability Case Competition using the 8 Key Questions. The team was coached by Scott Ingram (’18), engagement fellow for Ethical Reasoning in Action;
• Aaliyah McLean (’20) will serve as the Campus Compact Newman Fellow;
• The JMU Brass Band, directed by Kevin Stees, professor in the School of Music, placed second at the North American Brass Band Association Championships;
• 15 students or alumni have been awarded Fulbright Awards;
• Bethany Nowviskie, distinguished presidential fellow at the Council on Library and Information Resources and senior advisor to the Digital Library Federation, will serve as the new dean of Libraries and Educational Technologies;
• Mark L’Esperance, chair of the Department of Elementary Education and Middle Grades Education at East Carolina University, will serve as the new dean of the College of Education;
• JMU has sent delegations of faculty and staff to Rwanda and Ecuador to discuss the role of democracy in civil society;
• The university continues its efforts toward diversity, access and inclusion through the work of the Task Force on Inclusion and through hosting the annual Diversity Conference for faculty, staff and members of the Harrisonburg – Rockingham County community;
• Thirty-one high school students have completed the Valley Scholars program. Thirty have been admitted to college for the fall semester. Twenty-four were admitted to JMU. Some received full tuition scholarships to other institutions;
• The university received estate gifts from Harrie E. and Madaline H. Caprenter (’43) and Charles Edwin Good (’62);
• The community came together in a special way to respond to a fire in the Southview apartment complex.