FYI on the BOV PULLING BACK THE CURTAINS ON THE BOARD OF VISITORS by Whitney Foutz graphic by Scott Herman When Thomas Jefferson set out to create the University of Virginia, the pinnacle of all public institutions, he established a governing board consisting of three generals, two state senators, and two former U. S. Presidents. At the time, this prestigious group of men known as the Board of Visitors was an accurate representation of the wealthy white planters' sons who were the university's first students. But times have changed, and U.Va. is not the bastion of all things white and male as it once was. Unfortunately, today's Board of Visitors, a group composed of 14 white males, one white female, and one black female, is no longer representative of the university. If you're wondering what the Board of Visitors has to do with you, the answer is: EVERYTHING. The BOV's homepage states, "The Board approves the policies and budget of the University, and is entrusted with the preservation of the University's many traditions, including the Honor System." They have the power to control the general policy and direction of the university. In addition to deciding where every one of our precious tuition dollars goes, the Board also chooses the president and approves all faculty appointments. Eleven of the Board of Visitors' 16 members must be alumni. Beyond this criteria, the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia has the jurisdiction to appoint whomever he wants. In a four-year term, the governor has the capacity to appoint the entire board. In the past, governors have used university board appointments as a reward for financial backing. A position on the board of Virginia's premier university, formerly held by the likes of James Madison and James Monroe, is considered the most prestigious unpaid appointment in the state. For the loyal campaign supporter, the Board of Visitors is not only a highly desirable position, but also an attainable one -- for the right price. Although George F. Allen is not the first Virginia governor to pack the Board of Visitors with friends and political allies, he has been one of the more flagrant. Present board members contributed a total of $86,310 to Allen's 1993 campaign alone. William H. Goodwin, Jr., also appointed to be the university's next rector, individually donated $50,000 to the governor's campaign. The Board of Visitors is certainly a wealthy group of individuals, with eight corporate executives, a bank chairman, four lawyers, and a doctor. Incidentally, nearly all of Allen's appointees thus far have been white males. The Board of Visitors' lack of diversity is disturbing. Fewer women sit on the board today than during World War II -- 25 years before U.Va. became completely coeducational. A university population that is now 50 percent female and almost 20 percent minority is certainly under-represented by the two token seats on the Board of Visitors. In addition, many feel that board members from a broader background could better understand the concerns of lower income students. Maybe, just maybe, we as students are more interested in increased financial aid and smaller classes than perpetual construction projects to improve the university's outward appearance. Although the governing boards of every state school are picked by the governor, U.Va.'s Board of Visitors stands out as the least diverse. The Virginia Military Institute, where women cadets were admitted only this fall, already has two female members on its 17-member board. John P. Ackerly III, a board member since 1995, argues that the reason for U.Va.'s white male dominated board is that the governor simply has a larger pool of white male alumni from which to choose. This may be true, but since the end of segregation and the beginning of coeducation in 1972, many people from a broad spectrum of backgrounds have graduated from U.Va. Qualified women and minorities have applied for appointments on the Board of Visitors, but few have received them. In the late 1960s, board members were chosen from nominations made by alumni associations. Today these associations play only a cosmetic role. Several schools across the country, however, are moving away from a politically motivated or cosmetic method of appointing board members and towards a more widely representative procedure. In 1992, for instance, the state of Kentucky began using a committee to screen nominations received from all members of the university community, including students. The governor was then required to select board members from those candidates. Such methods provide a way to eliminate some of the politics from board appointments and ensure that the people most affected by board decisions have input in the matter. David W. Breneman, Dean of the Curry School of Education, pointed out that only 13 percent of U.Va.'s budget comes from the state. Why then does the governor have the sole power of appointing those people who decide where our money goes? In June's Chronicle of Higher Education, Breneman stated that "A logical next step (although politically not an easy one) would be for the legislature to allow some members of the governing board of this privately financed, public university to be selected by other means. This notion is nothing more than the obvious application of the 'golden rule' -- whoever supplies the gold makes the rules." So what are we going to do about it? Dr. M. Rick Turner, Dean of the Office of African-American Affairs, said, "I wish that students were as concerned with issues of diversity as I and others are. The apathy among students, all students, regarding issues of diversity, affirmative action, and multicultural competence is also quite disturbing. All of these issues, particularly affirmative action, will continue to impact [sic] them and their children." The Board of Visitors makes decisions that directly affect us. It is high time we take notice of these decisions and insure that our concerns are heard. Through our choice in the upcoming gubernatorial election and our collective call for reform as students, we can work to see a truly representational Board of Visitors. BOV homepage: http://www.virginia.edu/~bovs/ THE BOARD'S MAJOR ALLEN CONTRIBUTORS William H. Goodwin, Jr. Chairman of Richmond-based CCA Industries, a holding company for various businesses including sporting goods giant AMF Industries -- $39, 000 to Allen's campaign in 1993, $10,000 in January 1994. Charlottesville businessman C. Wilson "Mick" McNeely III -- $30,000 to Allen's campaign through two of his corporations. Charlottesville businessman William G. Crutchfield, Jr., owner of national catalogue home-electronics retailer Crutchfield Corporations -- $5,000 in contributions. Charlottesville accountant Franklin K. Birckhead -- treasurer of six of Allen's eight political campaigns. James C. Wheat III -- Allen's gubernatorial campaign treasurer. Washington attorney Terence P. Ross -- worked on Allen's first campaign for House of Delegates in 1982 as a U.Va. law student. Former U.Va. English lecturer Champ Clark -- as 7th District Republican Chairman, helped a young Allen run his first political campaign.

back to Decweb main