Board Approves Summer Tuition, New Master's Program in Political Science
The Old Dominion University Board of Visitors approved a tuition and fee schedule for summer 2012, but deferred discussion of setting tuition for the 2012-13 academic year until the commonwealth concludes its budget process.
An overall increase of 3 percent for in-state undergraduate summer school tuition and mandatory fees was adopted at the April 4 meeting. Under the new summer rates, an in-state undergraduate student will pay $8 more per credit hour, or $271, and an in-state graduate student will pay $12 more, or $391, per credit hour. For out-of-state students those rates are $764 per undergraduate credit hour and $991 per graduate credit hour. ODU continues to have one of the lowest tuition rates in the commonwealth.
The summer term increases will help support additional class sections for the summer semester in order to meet students' needs for specific classes necessary to accelerate their time to graduation. The fees will support the additional costs associated with a larger enrollment. Room and board rates will rise 4 percent to cover inflationary costs and the planning for a new dining facility. Summer room and board will average $4,274 for all students.
The board will consider tuition and fees for the 2012-13 academic year at a future meeting, once a state budget is passed.
In other action at the quarterly meeting, the board approved a new master's degree program in political science and voted on resolutions for the naming of three campus buildings.
In addition, the board approved granting the emeritus title to five faculty members who are retiring this year, and heard a report on the promotion in academic rank to full professor for six current members of the faculty.
Upon the recommendation of its Academic and Research Advancement Committee, the board voted to approve the Master of Arts in Political Science in the College of Arts and Letters. The master's program will offer areas of concentration in the traditional subfields of political science: American political institutions, processes and behavior; comparative politics; and international politics.
The program will prepare individuals for positions and enhance the credentials of those already pursuing careers in government and politics, including employment in national, state and international agencies. In addition, it will prepare those seeking advanced study at the Ph.D. level in the field of political science.
Two arts buildings in the University Village - one recently built and another yet to be constructed - now have new names, as does a current athletic facility.
ODU has been granted state authority to construct a new arts building to house the art department and programs, which will be named for Richard Barry, former member, vice rector and rector of the Board of Visitors and former member of the ODU Educational Foundation board of directors. The resolution to name the facility the Barry Arts Building also notes that Barry's philanthropy includes numerous contributions to the university and overwhelming support to countless community organizations.
ODU's "Arts in the Village" project also includes the recently opened Monarch Theatre, a 25,000 square-foot contemporary facility that provides professional-grade performance and rehearsal space for the communication and theatre arts department. It has been named the Goode Theatre in honor of Susan, David, Christina and Martha Goode.
As noted in the board resolution, David and Susan Goode have been and continue to be generous supporters and leaders in numerous local, state and national boards for corporations, colleges and universities, the arts, the environment and human services. Their philanthropy includes lead support for the new ODU theatre facility and numerous other contributions to the university, as well as overwhelming support to countless community organizations.
The Powhatan Sports Complex, which brought the football, field hockey and lacrosse programs from across the campus to one location, has been named the L.R. Hill Sports Complex. As noted in the board resolution, Larry and Kathy Hill have been and continue to be generous supporters and leaders in numerous local, and regional philanthropic causes, boards, athletics, colleges and universities. Their philanthropy included lead support for the sports complex and numerous other contributions to the university, along with overwhelming support to countless community organizations.
Upon the recommendation of the Academic and Research Advancement Committee, the Board of Visitors approves the granting of the title of emeritus/emerita to the following faculty members. All will be retiring on June 1, with the exception of Douglas Greene, whose retirement date is July 1:
Andrew Gordon, professor emeritus of biological sciences
Douglas Greene, professor emeritus of history
Steven Maurer, professor emeritus of management
Linda McGreevy, professor emerita of art
Lucien Lombardo, professor emeritus of sociology and criminal justice.
The board was advised that President John Broderick has approved the promotions in academic rank, to professor, for the following faculty members, effective with the 2012-13 academic year:
Kenneth FitzGerald, Department of Art
Steven Morrison, School of Physical Therapy
Craig Bayse, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
James Bliss, Department of Psychology
Declan De Paor, Department of Physics
Margaret Mulholland, Department of Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.
In other action, the board approved proposed revisions to the Policy on Tenure and the Policy on Academic Rank and Promotion in Rank. Both revisions were characterized as primarily editorial and necessary to clarify and state existing practices in which the dean, according to the rationale statements, is "involved in submitting the list of external reviewers to the provost and vice president for academic affairs" with regard to both processes.
Kevin Muchiri, a student in the master's in engineering management degree program, was appointed the student representative to the Board of Visitors for 2012-13.
A non-voting member of the board, Muchiri will begin his one-year term May 5. He succeeds Gregory Walsh, a criminal justice major who is scheduled to graduate next month.
A native of Kenya, Muchiri has been very active at ODU since arriving in 2007 to pursue a bachelor's degree in information systems, which he received in 2011. He serves as a senator for the Student Government Association (SGA), chairman of its University Safety Committee and SGA representative to the International Student Advisory Board. Additionally, he is a member of the Government Relations Student Advisory Committee and was the ODU student representative to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
Also at the board meeting, Mariam Abdelhamid, a rising senior with a dual major in finance and marketing, was named student representative to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, and Christopher L. Day, a doctoral student in engineering management, was appointed to the Student Engagement and Enrollment Services Leadership Council.