Board of Visitors Holds Quarterly Meeting
The Radford University Board of Visitors met Feb. 7-8, 2012, in Richmond in conjunction with the university's student Advocacy Day at the General Assembly.
During its meeting, the Board took the following actions:
- Approved policies for transfer credit for the International Baccalaureate, the Advanced Placement and College Level Exam programs, and the Cambridge International Examination Policy.
- Approved professional development leave for 11 faculty members.
- Adopted a resolution of compliance with the Radford University Debt Management Policy and approved revisions to the policy.
- Approved Radford University's Small, Women and Minority-Owned (SWaM) Plan for fiscal years 2013-2017.
Front row, left to right: Vice Rector Mark Pace, RU President Kyle, Rector Stephen Musselwhite and Immediate Past Rector Tom Fraim. Back row, left to right: Wendy Tepper, Faculty Representative Richard Roth, Ronald Wesley, Rene Fonseca, Matthew Crisp, Nancy Artis, Brandon Bell, Darius Johnson, Milton Johns and Student Representative Megan Rhodes. Not pictured: Anthony Bedell, Stephan Cassaday, Sandra Cupp Davis and Linda Whitley-Taylor.
The Board also heard the following reports:
- A report from Milton Johns, chair of the Academic Affairs Committee.
- A report from Brandon Bell, chair of the Business Affairs and Marketing Committee.
- A report from Linda Whitley-Taylor, chair of the Governance and Administration Committee.
- A report from Matthew Crisp, board liaison to the Radford University Foundation.
- A report from Dr. Richard Roth, Faculty Senate president and faculty representative to the board.
- A report from Megan Rhodes, student representative to the board.
President Penelope W. Kyle reported to members of the Board that:
- At Winter Commencement in December, degrees were conferred on 399 undergraduate students and 108 graduate students, including the first recipients of Doctor of Nursing Practice and Master of Occupational Therapy degrees.
- Radford University’s online Doctor of Nursing Practice program was recognized by U.S. News & World Report in its inaugural Top Online Education Program Rankings, 2012 Edition. The program was ranked 23rd out of 79 in the nation for student services and technology.
- As of December, RU's fundraising total was more than halfway toward the goal for the fiscal year.
- Matt Dunleavy, an assistant professor of educational technology and director of the GAMeS Lab, was honored as the 2011 Innovative Educator of the Year by the Virginia Society for Technology in Education.
- “Goya, Dali, Warhol: Masterpieces of World Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts” opened in the Radford University Art Museum, the second Virginia Museum exhibition hosted by Radford.
- The Division of Academic Affairs is developing a "wintermester" term, a collection of online classes to be offered during the winter break.
- The Division of Information Technology is set to unveil RUmobile for iPhone and Android devices and to introduce processes to increase the accuracy of student address, phone and emergency contact data.
- To accommodate the popularity of its service, Radford Transit plans to double its fleet by purchasing seven buses and making route changes, including service until after 10 p.m. on weeknights to accommodate students with night classes and additional services to Blacksburg and Christiansburg.
- Negotiations continue on renewal of the university's contract with Chartwells to provide campus dining services. The company proposes investing as much as $6 million to remodel and modernize dining areas and improve vending areas.
- Work is to begin in this year on the new Center for the Sciences and the new Student Fitness and Wellness Center.
- Winter Homecoming and Young Alumni Reunion Weekend is set for Feb. 24-25.
The next meeting of the Board will be May 3-4, 2012, at Radford University in conjunction with Spring Commencement, which will be held May 5 at 10 a.m.
