Board grants funds to renovate Law School

The College of William and Mary Board of Visitors commended the efficiency and communication established by the annual meetings between the BOV and various other committees and boards on campus to discuss overlapping areas of interest.

“This is the way we should always operate going forward,” BOV Rector Jeffrey B. Trammel ’73 said. “Devoting one meeting a year to bring the boards together is productive. … You can sense the common purpose and [everyone] completely moving together.”

At the full board meeting on Friday, Feb. 8, the BOV discussed the ways in which they will go about trying to keep previous members of the BOV — a title usually given to significant financial “donors” who are involved with the College.

“We’re working to review the best practices [for keeping former BOV members engaged] at other institutions,” Trammel said. “It’s clear that institutions like Columbia [University] … are putting their former board members to work on behalf of the institution.”

The BOV commended the headway made on the Tucker Hall renovation project and other construction on campus. BOV Vice Rector Judge Charles A. Banks, III ’05 described his hope in the financial ability of the College to continue to operate on the six-year construction and renovation plan..

“I just hope there’s a way in the budgetary process that we can make this [possible],” Banks said.

The BOV approved College President Taylor Reveley’s request for $14 million to renovate the Marshall-Wythe School of Law. These renovations will include the addition of small seminar rooms, a legal clinic, a law practicum, legal writing space, a multipurpose dining area and an assembly space for students. Reveley cited a nearly 20 percent increase in enrollment, as well as the lack of food establishments in the area, to justify the renovations.

“I think [Dean and Hanson Professor of Law Davison Douglas] did a nice job of fitting this more into what can be done with the budget,” Banks said.

The BOV discussed the retirement of Dean of Students Patricia Volp and approved Matthew T. Lambert ’99 as the new vice president of development for the College. He will replace Sean Peiri who left the College this past fall.

Hours before Chancellor Robert Gates ’65 and Jefferson Award winner George and Mary Hytlon Associate Professor of International Relations Mike Tierney spoke against the increased use and reliance on technology and e-learning in the classroom, the BOV approved a resolution supporting the use of MBA e-learning. The resolution recognizes the strategic performance of e-learning and endorses a blended MBA program with e-learning.

During the full board meeting, the BOV also approved the establishment of fees for all business school majors or minors and the revision of the Office of Internal Audit Charter to fix small technical changes.

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