A meeting of the Executive Committee of the Board of Visitors was held Thursday, February 24, 1994, at 3:00 P.M. in the Board Room of Webb University Center on campus. Present from the Executive Committee were:
Arnold B. McKinnon, Rector
Arthur A. Diamonstein
The Hon. Henry E. Howell, Jr.
Hugo A. Owens, Sr.
J. Michael Pitchford
The Hon. Robert E. Washington
Also present from the Board of Visitors were:Lillie M. Babalas
Gilbert T. Bland
Gene R. Carter, Sr.
The Hon. Irvine B. Hill
Gabriel Kavadias
William L. Rueger
Anne B. Shumadine
Anne Marie Whittemore
Also present were:James V. Koch, President
The Hon. Mason Andrews
John R. Broderick
Dana D. Burnett
Stephen P. Daniel
John Dugan
Jo Ann M. Gora
John E. Gresock
Adam Gross
David F. Harnage
Patrick B. Kelly
Kay A. Kemper
Steve Lauria
Robert Layton
Ron Massie
Donna W. Meeks
Jim Oliver
Ewing Ottinger
A. Sidney Roberts, Jr.
Daniel E. Sonenshine
Richard A. Staneski
Brian Townsend
Cecelia T. Tucker
Philip Walzer
Barbara Zoby
CALL TO ORDER AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 22, 1993
Rector McKinnon called the meeting to order and asked for approval of the minutes of the Executive Committee meeting held February 22, 1993. Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the minutes were approved as distributed.
PRESIDENT'S REPORT
The Rector called on President Koch for his report. President Koch welcomed the members of the Norfolk City Council, the Norfolk Planning Authority and the Norfolk Redevelopment Authority.
President Koch asked Professor Daniel E. Sonenshine, who was recently named the Virginia Scientist of the Year, to stand and be recognized by the members of the Board of Visitors. Professor Sonenshine is a faculty member in the Department of Biology whose research speciality is in the area of ticks.
President Koch commented that this is the last meeting of the Board of Visitors for Rich Staneski, who will be leaving Old Dominion University to become Vice President at State University of New York at Purchase. He praised Vice President Staneski for his efforts in improving the University's audit and in meeting the Commonwealth's management standards. He mentioned that the Commonwealth's former Director of Planning and Budget, Karen Washabau, once declared Old Dominion University the "best managed public university in Virginia." Without question, this was due in large part to Vice President Staneski's efforts.
President Koch shared with the Board a new fee structure for students that will be recommended to the Board at its meeting in April as part of the tuition and fee proposal. A new "general service" fee of $10 would be added to replace the current fee structure for graduation, dropping a class, reinstatement, matriculation and catalog and will be paid at registration each semester. The new structure, which will also reduce administrative expenses, is in response to the students' concerns that they were being "nickled and dimed" by the University.
President Koch distributed a copy of a "Dear Colleague" letter that summarizes Old Dominion University's progress thus far in the General Assembly. He commented that the increases recommended for Old Dominion substantially exceed those recommended for the other doctoral institutions. The proposed increases include funding for Teletechnet, Port and Maritime Management, faculty and staff salary increases, the CEBAF initiative, the Principal Assessment Center, the Child Study Center expansion, maintenance reserve, the equipment trust fund, and planning for the Teletechnet building.
The University is submitting a proposal to the Commonwealth for consideration as one of the pilot institutions for decentralization. Such decentralization would give the University purchasing authority to purchase items such as furniture and computer equipment outside the state purchasing guidelines. The Commonwealth has also asked each institution to submit restructuring plans to reallocate 1.5% of the budget.
PRESENTATION ON CAMPUS MASTER PLAN
Vice President Staneski stated that about two and a half years ago, the University formed a group called the "Old Dominion University Environs Steering Committee" comprised of individuals from the University, the city, and each of the area civic leagues. The group identified Old Dominion University's three main needs as increased student housing, better athletic facilities, and increased and improved research facilities. The group came to the consensus that the way to meet those needs was not to further develop the current campus, nor to develop to the north or south of the current campus because of the residential areas in those directions, but to look to the east and west of the current campus. It therefore looked at ways in which the University might develop the landfill on the Elizabeth River to the west of campus, and how it might benefit from some efforts on the east side of the campus. The area under discussion on the east side of Hampton Boulevard has been limited to the area bounded by 49th Street on the north, 38th Street on the south, Hampton Boulevard on the west, and Killam Avenue on the east.
This fall the University retained the services of the architectural firm Ayers Saint Gross to assist in these efforts. Adam Gross, a principal with the firm, discussed some ideas for future development of the east side of campus.
The presentation by Adam Gross included two scenarios for the development. In both scenarios, a one-way feeder road would be built, providing access to academic buildings, retail shops and housing. One scenario calls for the elimination of the front section of the Technology Building to make room for a crescent-shaped feeder road, running from WHRO to 42nd Street. The new convocation center would be located at the center of the crescent, approximately at 46th Street. In the other scenario, the Technology Building would remain intact and the feeder road would be built between 38th and 46th Streets, with the convocation center built across from the Batten Arts and Letters Building.
Mr. Gross said the east-side development project would eventually have 120,000 square feet of retail space, including such facilities as movie theaters, a bowling alley and restaurants, and 200,000 square feet of office space. Initial plans call for the area to be used primarily for student housing, including both university and commercial housing.
In discussing site plans for the east and west sides of the Norfolk campus, Mr. Gross stressed the need for green spaces and quadrangles. He also mentioned the possibility of extending the major north-south walkway that ends at 49th Street and Bluestone Avenue to run along the west side of Foreman Field to Bolling Avenue, connecting the old and new areas of the campus. He also talked about developing the landfill off Powhatan Avenue as a recreation and leisure area.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
The Rector recognized Mr. Pitchford, who made the following motion: "Mr. Rector, I move that this meeting be recessed, and that we reconvene in Executive Session for the purpose of discussing personnel matters, specifically, the replacement of personnel in Administration and Finance, and also for the purpose of the possible acquisition and sale of real property, specifically, the proposed development of the campus east of Hampton Boulevard, and the transfer of the Zuni Pine Barrens to the State, as permitted by Subsection (A), Paragraphs (1) and (3), of Section 2.1-344 of the Code of Virginia." City representatives were invited to participate in discussions concerning the east side development.
RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION AND FOIA CERTIFICATION
At the conclusion of Executive Session, the meeting reconvened in open session, at which time the Rector called for the Freedom of Information Act certification of compliance that (1) only public business matters lawfully exempted from the open meeting requirements under the Freedom of Information Act were discussed and (2) only such public business matters as were identified in the motion by which the executive session was convened were heard, discussed or considered. The certification of compliance vote was fourteen (14) in favor and none opposed.
RESOLUTION TRANSFERRING THE ZUNI PINE BARRENS TO THE STATE
A motion to was made to authorize the University to transfer the Zuni Pine Barrens to the state, pursuant to the Virginia Natural Area Preserves Act. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved. President Koch explained that the move brings the pine barrens under the protection of the State's new system of natural preserves, but Old Dominion University will continue to manage the 318-acre tract in southeastern Virginia. Old Dominion University acquired the property in 1985 as a result of an agreement between Union Campus Corporation, the original owner, and The Nature Conservancy.
CALL FOR NEW BUSINESS AND ADJOURNMENT
The Rector asked if there was any new business to come before the Board. Hearing none, and with no further business to be discussed, the meeting was adjourned.
| Contact Info: | Donna Meeks - dmeeks@odu.edu | Copyright Info: | Copyright(c) 1998
Old Dominion University |
| Last edited by: | | Last edited on: | 09/24/99 03:18:24 PM |
1462 Visitors to this page since 09/24/99