The Board of Visitors on June 15 unanimously approved the 2000-01 operating budget and plan, which reflects a budgetary increase from $236 million last year to $237.8 million for the next fiscal year.

In his presentation to the board, David F. Harnage, vice president for administration and finance, noted the university will spend less than 10 percent in overhead while 62 percent of funding will go toward instruction and academic support.

According to Harnage, the budget educational priorities include faculty support for the newly created e-commerce program, University Professor awards, new faculty positions in the departments of Music and Chemistry and Biochemistry, the Teacher Training in Technology program, Northern Virginia Higher Education Center and distance learning.

Additionally, funds were allocated to renovate classrooms with new digital technologies, update technology equipment and computers at TELETECHNET sites and establish three new Information Technology Program (IT Pro) instructional computer labs.

The budget includes raises of 3 percent for faculty and 3.25 percent for staff.

Harnage also announced that test pilings could be driven at the site of the new Constant Convocation Center as early as late July.

The board elected the following officers for 2000-01: Lawrie Falck Rollison, rector; Hamm, vice rector; and Elizabeth W. Atkinson, secretary.

In other action, the board approved the Academic Affairs Committee's recommendation on faculty, administrative, TELETECHNET site director and emeritus appointments, as well as its recommendation of a policy on Copyright Ownership and Royalty Rights for Technology-based Instruction.

The new policy was enacted to address the rights of faculty and the university as they relate to technology-based instruction. Developed by a joint committee of faculty and administrators, the new policy is based on practices that have developed as a result of TELETECHNET and distance learning instruction.

The policy states, in part, "Net revenues received from the sale of courses (e.g., royalty payments to the university) will be distributed equally among the college, faculty member and Academic Technology Services, 33 1/3 percent to each."

Among the appointments approved were: -Thomas L. Isenhour as new dean of the College of Sciences, with tenure (effective July 15); -R. Bowen Loftin as professor of electrical and computer engineering, with tenure (effective July 25); -Robert L. Fenning as acting vice president for administration and finance (effective Aug. 1); -Carole L. Seyfrit as assistant vice president for research and graduate studies (effective June 1); -Michele S. Spires as interim director for the Northern Virginia Higher Education Center (effective June 5); -Renee E. Olander as director of interdisciplinary teacher preparation (effective June 25); and -Donnie Taylor-Jefferson as program manager of the Center for Global Business and Executive Education (effective May 25).

William R. Brown, professor of educational curriculum and instruction, and Carl O. Helvie, professor of nursing, were granted the title of emeritus, effective June 1, 2000, and the board also approved granting the title of emeritus posthumously to Joseph M. Marchello, professor of civil and environmental engineering.