It’s taken a while, but we all knew that the seismic shifts in the NCAA power conferences would eventually trickle their way down to the mid-majors. Now, with one school already gone and possibly three more on their way, William and Mary may soon be looking at a very different CAA.

Here’s a look at what each school has been rumored to be doing, according to reports from various media outlets:

George Mason: For months, we have been hearing rumors that GMU and VCU would be leaving the CAA for the Atlantic-10 beginning in 2013. CAA commissioner Tom Yeager and the athletic departments at both schools have categorically denied any move to the A-10, but the rumors have continued to surface. The New York Post’s Lenn Robbins tweeted April 20 that GMU and VCU would both be joining the A-10 on May 1. May 1 has come and gone, and it is still unclear as to whether Mason will make the jump to the A-10. One report surfaced Wednesday from Eyes Radio’s Tom Block, who claims that sources within the George Mason athletic department told him that GMU will not make the move to the A-10. Block’s source said the decision was made within the last day or so. Whether the Patriots’ decision to stay in the CAA is final has yet to be confirmed. Either way, things might become a little more difficult with mid-major basketball powerhouse Butler announcing that it will join the A-10 Wednesday. George Mason was rumored to be worried about the stability of the A-10, but Butler’s decision to join certainly leaves little doubt about the stability of the conference.

Virginia Commonwealth: As of right now, the Rams could be the key to conference realignment. All reports out of Richmond have VCU as being very undecided about its future. VCU, like George Mason, is actively considering spurning the CAA for the A-10. One added complication to VCU’s situation is the departure of athletic director Norwood Teague, who will leave to take over the AD job at Minnesota. According to the Daily Press, Teague, who is scheduled to leave VCU Friday, has been rumored to have recommended to VCU school president Michael Rao that the Rams stay in the CAA for at least 2012-13. The Richmond Times-Dispatch’s Tim Pearrell talked to a VCU source who claimed that no decision had been made because of the ongoing fluidity of the situation. Pearrell’s source also mentioned that interim athletic director David Benedict and Rao would come to a decision regarding the matter. It’s tough to tell exactly what the Rams are thinking. Teague’s recommendation would indicate that the Rams are poised to stay within the CAA for at least one additional season, but no one knows how much weight his recommendation will carry in light of his departure.

Old Dominion: For weeks, all of the CAA realignment talk was centered on GMU and VCU. Recent developments, however, now have Old Dominion at the center of CAA departure buzz. ODU has been in talks with other conferences after learning that GMU and VCU were entertaining a possible departure from the CAA. According to the Daily Press’ Dave Fairbank, ODU is actively studying a move to Conference-USA. Additionally, The Virginian-Pilot’s Ed Miller’s source claims that C-USA officials are pressing ODU’s athletic department for an answer within the next week. The C-USA, which has recently been raided by the Big East, is looking to add Charlotte, Florida International, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, and Texas-San Antonio and Old Dominion, with Middle Tennessee State also being a possibility. The move, which represents a big shift from the CAA, is interestingly different from GMU and VCU’s possible move to the A-10. Both VCU and GMU are basketball schools and the A-10 is looking to become the premier mid major basketball school. Old Dominion, however, is a traditional basketball powerhouse looking to join a traditionally football-driven league. The move would also require Old Dominion to transition from the FCS level to FBS level in football. The Monarchs recently underwent a transition process after resurrecting their football program a few years ago in order to join the CAA. A move to C-USA might be too good for ODU to pass up.

One important thing for CAA fans to remember is the amount of power that these top three schools wield. VCU, GMU and ODU are the CAA’s top three basketball programs, and the loss of all three could prove devastating to the future of the league. Additionally, none of those three wants to be in a league without the other. ODU recently started up talks with C-USA because it was worried about a CAA without GMU and VCU. If all three schools can convince one another that the CAA can be saved, they could all stay, but if not, look for the conference to undergo a major shift. There is no telling what moved by ODU, VCU and GMU could do. The other schools in the conference could entertain moves, or the CAA could look to bring in new schools. What does this mean for other current CAA members?

Georgia State: Gone. GSU announced they would be leaving for the Sun Belt conference a few months ago. The CAA is rumored to be looking for a replacement for GSU.

James Madison: JMU fans, who have long clamored for a move to the FBS level, have reason to worry. From what I could tell, it doesn’t look like JMU has received much attention from other conferences considering a move. If the CAAZone boards are any indication, JMU fans seem to want to see the CAA survive and everything go back to normal.

UNC-Wilmington, Drexel, Hofstra, Northeastern, Delaware, Towson, Delaware, William and Mary: Nothing solid confirmed from any of these schools. Interestingly, College Athletic Director Terry Driscoll wants to take a “wait and see” approach concerning the Tribe’s chances of moving. Some have speculated that William and Mary would be a good fit in the Patriot League if the CAA implodes. Driscoll, who talked to Fairbank, added that William and Mary has never really been a great fit in any conference, and that the best approach for the College is to wait and see.

As the College sits back and waits, the future of the conference continues to change. Only time will tell what the CAA landscape looks like in a few short weeks … or days.

The city of Williamsburg is comprised of two voting precincts. The Berkley Precinct polls at the Williamsburg United Methodist Church on Jamestown Road, and contains nearly all of the College of William and Mary’s campus, as well as neighborhoods south of Jamestown Road. The Stryker Precinct polls at the Williamsburg Community Building located at 401 North Boundary Street, and consists of the Eastern half of Williamsburg.

The Berkley Pricinct cast 615 votes for Freiling, 616 for Haulman, and 507 for Knudson. Crapse received 388 votes, and there were 42 write-in votes.

The Stryker Precinct cast 392 votes for Freiling, 376 for Haulman, and 362 for Knudson. Crapse received 239 votes, and there were 4 write-in votes.

Grimes, who ran for 1,431 yards in his senior season and led the Tribe with 2,510 all-purpose yards (both of which were single-season school records), was passed up through seven rounds of the NFL draft — a surprise to some — before signing with the Texans. He holds the school record for career rushing (4,541 yards) and all-purpose yards (7,955). He was also a star on special teams, setting the school record for career kickoff return yardage with 2,289 yards. He racked up conference and national awards year after year, earning first-team All-CAA honors as a junior, sophomore and senior, grabbing first-team All-American honors from the Associated Press and the College Sporting News as a senior and finishing fourth in voting for the Walter Payton Award as a senior. He ended his college career as the most-decorated player in CAA history with 11 all-conference honors.

Gottlieb finished his career with 75 total catches for 905 yards and five touchdowns. He earned second-team All American honors from The Sports Network for his junior year and was named first-team All-CAA for his junior and senior seasons. His 6’4″, 255 pound frame makes him a big target in the passing game as well as an effective blocker.

“I’m on cloud nine right now,” Gottlieb said. “I couldn’t be happier. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity.”

Tight end Alex Gottlieb signed with the Detroit Lions Saturday. COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

Gottlieb said he was at his house in Williamsburg with friends and teammates when the Lions first contacted him during the seventh round of the draft and then again shortly after the draft to finalize things. The Lions, he said, presented an especially-attractive opportunity because they like to carry up to four tight ends during the season and will have open roster spots at the position.

“We all went nuts when we heard the news,” he said.

A Flordia-native, Gottlieb will have to adjust to the Detroit climate.

“I hope I’m up for it,” he said, “I’m definitely going to have to buy some winter clothes.”

Hyde earned second-team all-conference honors as a junior and a senior, finishing his college career with 18.5 sacks, 32 tackles for loss, 144 total tackles, two forced fumbles and one interception. The highlight of his time in the green and gold was the seventh game of his senior season, when he broke the single-game school and conference record with five sacks in the Tribe’s 24-10 win over No. 6 New Hampshire. Hyde was a one-man wrecking crew that day, logging a career-high nine tackles (all solo), six tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

He said that a number of teams were weary about his shoulder, which was operated on back in November. The Packers expressed interest before pulling out at the last second, only to let the Redskins invite him to minicamp just minutes later.

Defensive end Marcus Hyde will head to Washington Redskins minicamp. COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

“It’s pretty crazy, kind of surreal,” Hyde said, “just getting a shot at your dream, I could never think of how it would feel. It didn’t even sink in for a while. … I woke up and I had like 15 text messages and five voicemails. My phone almost died because I was on the phone all day talking to friends and family.”

Hyde knows this is just an opportunity to earn a spot on the team.

“Anything could happen. Everyone’s got to make the squad so I’m living it up for this week until we get up there and then it’s all business,” he said. “I definitely think I’m ready. I’ve worked my butt off and I think I work harder than anyone else.”

Getting up there won’t take long given that the Redskins training facility in Ashburn, VA is just about 25 miles from his hometown of Manassas, VA.

“I grew up a Baltimore Ravens fan but I’m definitely a Redskins fan right now,” Hyde said.

The Avengers

The culmination of five superhero films, “The Avengers” weaves together the narratives of its famous Marvel heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk, Thor, Black Widow and Hawkeye. Under the auspices of S.H.I.E.L.D, a peace-keeping organization run by Nick Fury, the superheroes are called together to save the planet from Loki, the latest nemesis against humanity. Although limited in explaining the story lines for each of the protagonists, the film clearly brings life to the characters beloved by comic book enthusiasts.

Directed by: Joss Whedon

Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson

Release Date: May 4, 2012

Rated: PG-13

Battleship

After a one-year postponement, Peter Berg’s film adaptation to the Hasbro board game will flaunt its superb visual effects and eye-catching explosions to thriller-enthused audiences. Unlike the board game, however, the plot focuses on the battle between humans and aliens, who first make their appearance in an attack on Hong Kong. As such, the film that began as a reference to the popular children’s game shares the connection in name only; the film instead appears more in line with “Transformers,” combining a rock-genre soundtrack with close-up shots of warfare in a visually appealing and fast-paced film.

Directed by: Peter Berg

Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker, Rihanna and Liam Neeson

Release Date: May 18, 2012

Rated: PG-13

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Based on the bestselling novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, this film combines history and fantasy into a narrative about the country’s sixteenth president. Following the murder of his mother, Nancy, Abraham Lincoln is convinced that vampires, supported by plantation owners, are attempting to take over the United States. The film traces his journey to eradicate them. While historians will certainly deride the film’s historical inaccuracies, audiences will surely appreciate Tim Burton’s eccentric filmmaking aesthetic and, furthermore, watching Honest Abe wielding an axe.

Directed by: Timur Bekmambetov

Starring: Benjamin Walker, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Alan Tudyk and Dominic Cooper

Release Date: June 22, 2012

Rated: TBA

To Rome with Love

In his classic style of intertwining stories and witty dialogue, Woody Allen captures the spirit of Italians and American expatriates in his new film, “To Rome With Love.” Already grossing $3.7 million in its opening weekend in Italy, the film follows a narrative style similar to that of “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” depicting the emotionally charged ties of romantic relationships and  the individuals’ connections with the city in which they live. The film marks Allen’s first on-screen role since “Scoop.” While the film takes advantage of the talents of its many actors, the question remains if it can live up to the high expectations set by Allen’s last film, the Academy Award-winning “Midnight in Paris.”

Directed by: Woody Allen

Starring: Ellen Page, Jesse Eisenberg, Penelope Cruz, Alec Baldwin and Woody Allen

Release date: June 22, 2012

Rated: TBA

Brave

After the relatively poor performance of “Cars 2,” Pixar aims to renew its characteristic award-winning showmanship with “Brave,” a tale of a young Scottish princess. While the portrayal of a princess may evoke the Disney movies of our youth, the film breaks from the conventions set forth by its predecessors like “Snow White” and “Sleeping Beauty.” Princess Merida does not intend to marry a prince, and her unwillingness to conform challenges the foundations of her kingdom’s heritage. However, her actions lead her country into turmoil, and she must use her courage and expertise at archery to save the kingdom from the curse brought upon it. Ultimately, however, this film will be praised for its use of a female protagonist — the first in any Pixar film.

Directed by: Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman

Starring: Kelly MacDonald, Emma Thompson and Kevin McKidd

Release Date: June 22, 2012

Rated: TBA

Moonrise Kingdom

The celebrated director of “Rushmore” and “The Royal Tenenbaums” returns to the screen with this 94-minute tale. Set in 1965, two young lovers — Suzy and Sam — decide to run away, leaving their families and the people in their small New England town in a frenzy to find them. With Wes Anderson’s unconventional filmmaking techniques and narrative plot line, the film portrays, even venerates, the importance of the ordinary — including a seemingly banal story of two children in love. Through the acting talents of its numerous actors, including Bill Murray in his sixth film with Anderson, the short yet sweet “Moonrise Kingdom” will cater to audiences eager for a new take on romantic comedy.

Directed by: Wes Anderson

Starring: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton and Jason Schwartzman

Release Date: May 25, 2012

Rated: PG-13

The Dark Knight Rises

As the concluding film in the Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, “The Dark Knight Rises” seeks to stun audiences with even more visual effects and violence than its Academy Award-winning predecessor “The Dark Knight.” In this chapter, billionaire Bruce Wayne, Batman, having fled eight years prior to escape persecution for the crimes committed by Two Face, returns to defend Gotham City from the new terrorist, Bane. Once there, he meets Selina Kyle, Catwoman, an enigmatic woman who works under Bane. While the film is set to be a box-office hit, with tickets for the New York premiere already sold out, it is unclear whether Tom Hardy’s performance as Bane can compare to Heath Ledger’s exceptional and award-winning personification of the Joker.

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman

Release Date: July 20, 2012

Rated: PG-13

The house, owned by Gregory and Kathy Price, suffered extensive damage, leaving only one wall remaining. No one was harmed in the fire.

Jackie Richard ’13, Katherine Russo ’12 and Kristen Hamel ’12 were in their Ludwell apartment Wednesday evening when they noticed smoke near their back window.

Firefighters responded to the house on Rolfe Rd. Wednesday evening. JILL FOUND / THE FLAT HAT

“At first, I just thought it was fog,” Russo said. “We decided to go outside anyways and look at the house. We thought we saw flames in the chimney, so we started pounding on the doors and windows.”

Richard began calling 911 while Russo and Hamel continued knocking on the door to alert the residents.

Williamsburg City Council candidate Ginger Crapse ’89 was canvassing in the neighborhood with high school student Aaron Goldstein when they noticed fire coming from the house’s chimney.

Crapse and Goldstein joined the three students from the College of William and Mary who were already at the scene.

When no residents responded to the knocking, the group split up, knocking on various other doors.

“I ran around the other side, banged on the door and it did no good,” Crapse said Wednesday night. “I kicked the door in. You can’t fool around. You’ve got to get the people out.”

According to Crapse, the couple was watching a movie with their friend Barbara Murphy in the basement. Due to the barking of the couple’s two Jack Russell terriers, the group failed to hear the knocking initially.

“I just said, ‘Get the things that you can physically grab in five minutes because it’s just in your chimney now, but it’ll spread,’” Crapse said.

Goldstein and the College students continued to call 911 in the meantime.

The homeowners, Murphy and the two dogs escaped the blaze in time.

“I never imagined that the fire would spread,” Russo said. “By the time the fire department got there, it had engulfed the whole house.”

Due to the distance of the house from the road, fire crews had difficulty accessing the house with their equipment. By one a.m., they were able to fully access the house.

Firefighters had difficulty accessing the house, located down a heavily-wooded driveway. JILL FOUND / THE FLAT HAT

“I think we were all just in shock,” Richards said. “It seemed to be contained in the chimney. We couldn’t believe it spread so quickly.”

Crapse credited her quick thinking to the intensity of the moment and to her experience as a police dispatcher.

“Well, adrenaline kicks in,” Crapse said. “You have to be clinical, you have to be logical, and the people in the house are not going to be because they’re emotionally attached to the house.”

The three students stayed with the couple as crews responded to the scene, holding their dogs as they tried to console the homeowners.

“We just knew that we needed to help them,” Russo said. “It was so sad because the fire spread quickly and all we could do at that point was help console them. I think that all three of us would like to continue to help them though. They’re going through something really traumatic.”

The U.S. Department of Education agrees, announcing recently that transfers and part time students will now be part of graduation-rate tallies.

“More and more students are attending multiple institutions and are stopping out during their paths to graduation,” Associate Provost for Institutional Analysis and Effectiveness Susan Bosworth said in an email. “There has been increasing pressure by colleges and universities to develop a more accurate measure of graduation rates. Under the current system of reporting, transfer students do not count toward a successful graduation rate for any institution. They are counted against the initial institution, and then are no longer included in official graduation rates. Also, note, that [the National Collegiate Athletic Association] has a different way of calculating graduation rates for athletes.”

Like other major U.S. universities, the College of William and Mary, which welcomed about 230 transfers last fall and 70 at the beginning of the spring semester, will be affected by the new graduation tallies. College officials believe that although the change is important, it will not  drastically alter the College’s graduation rate, which currently stands at 82 percent.

“I don’t think they will affect it that much, just because our transfer students perform just as well as our native students,” Assistant to the Dean of Students and Transfer Student Support Services coordinator Ben Boone said. “It’s not like we are going to be sitting here saying, ‘Oh my gosh, they are going to start counting transfers, our numbers are going to drop!’ Our transfers do just as well as our students who come in as freshmen do.”

The Department of Education’s new policy comes as a welcome change to several transfer students at the College who were not previously counted in graduation rates.

“I can’t say that I’m upset by it, but I figured that we would already be included,” transfer student Bucky Dow ’12 said. “Over the years, [transfers have been] a significant population, and I’m shocked that we weren’t already included.”

The one remaining point of contention concerns how the Department of Education will mandate data collection. Lingering questions include how many credits a student must earn to be considered part time as opposed to a transfer student.

The process of tracking one student to another could also become burdensome. A proposal that would create a nationwide database tracking every student individually has been criticized for violating privacy concerns. Several options include creating a state-based system in which students’ progress could be tracked within state institutions, but that would leave students who transferred between states uncounted.

Many believe that the new changes come as a result of the steadily increasing trend for students to transfer from one institution to another. Reasons for transferring vary. Boone and others at the College believe that the surge in transfer students can be linked to the tough economic times.

“It reflects a growing trend that President Barack Obama is pushing, the idea that post-secondary education can come in many different forms,” Boone said. “It doesn’t have to be that Jimmy and Johnny get shipped off to a four-year school immediately. Instead, we are pushing Votech schools, we are pushing community colleges not just for the access point, but also families who before the recession hit could have sent their kids to a four-year school [who] are now sending them to a two-year school to save money and get general education stuff out of the way before they go to a four-year school.”

By all accounts, the College considers itself very transfer-friendly. According to statistics on the College’s website, the College averages about 970 transfer applications every fall and 250 every spring. Additionally, the College holds a close relationship with its junior college, Richard Bland College.

Boone, one of the College’s top liaisons to Richard Bland, and Dow, a 2009 graduate of Richard Bland, both see the benefits of making the transfer process as easy as possible and ensuring that those students who transfer from other institutions graduate from the College.

“Because of the relationship between the two, Richard Bland is geared toward transferring students toward William and Mary,” Dow said. “Richard Bland is [our] third highest transfer school. I think the Richard Bland process, considering our administration was under William and Mary administration, was pretty easy. I didn’t have much of a problem, but I can’t speak for others.”

While the effect of including transfers in graduation rates remains to be seen, the mission for College administrators remains the same.

“At William and Mary, we are working really hard to make sure that our transfers have the resources they need once they get here to help them progress at a steady rate and help them get their degrees,” Boone said. “Hopefully one of the results from these mandates from the Department of Education is that we can figure out how to more effectively communicate and reach out to the transfers to help them get through in a timely fashion.”

The Basic School at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va. will recognize McGlothlin, who was killed in action in Iraq in 2005, May 17 for his service to the United States Marine Corps.

McGlothlin graduated from the College with high honors and a major in Chemistry. He worked closely with many professors on his work with lunar elements. McGlothlin’s work provides much of the foundation research for a project being done by current students and faculty in collaboration with NASA.

The premise of his thesis was to experiment with polymer materials and mix them with “lunar dust,” then hot press or microwave the materials into bricks that could possibly be used to build a lunar station for further exploration and experimentation on the moon.

“He was a very good student and well-known for it. He was a genuinely nice person with a very good worth ethic,” chemistry professor Richard Kiefer said. “He was very pleasant and really one of the best students I have ever had. He ranks among the top five I have ever taught in my 38 years of teaching.”

After graduating, McGlothlin accepted a doctoral research fellowship at Stanford University, where he completed his master’s degree in polymer chemistry after two years.

“When he was in his junior year of college, I was talking with him and asked him what he wanted to do. He replied that he’d always wanted to join the Marines,” Kiefer said. “I think some others in the department convinced him to go to graduate school first, though.”

During his time at Stanford, McGlothlin joined the Marine Corps, and following the completion of his master’s degree, he opted to enter the Officer’s Candidate School at the base in Quantico. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant and then entered the Basic School in 2003.

He completed the program six months later in 2004, achieving the highest overall scores in his class, and entered the Marine Corps as an infantry officer and then a platoon commander. His platoon was deployed in 2005 and was moved to the Al-Anbar province in Iraq after training in Australia, Egypt and Kuwait.

McGlothlin’s platoon was part of Operation Steel Curtain, the goal of which was to eliminate the presence of terrorists and insurgents along Iraq’s border with Syria. He was killed in Ubaydi during combat while trying to rescue wounded soldiers in the village nearby.

In November 2009, in his hometown of Lebanon, Va., McGlothlin was honored when a bronze bust of him was unveiled and dedicated in his memory. The base at Quantico will honor him further.

The Basic School, which McGlothlin attended, was created to help “train and educate newly commissioned or appointed officers” in order to prepare them for duty in the forces. t is where McGlothlin became a First Lieutenant and this is where he will be honored with the dedication of new student quarters in his name.

The College of William and Mary’s seasonal Board of Visitors meetings began late Wednesday afternoon with the meeting of the Committee on Audit.

“The official audit report, although expected to be finished at the time of the meeting, has been delayed and will not be published for a few months,” Director of Internal Audit Michael Stump said.

After coming to a quorum, the committee began with its audit on compliance, led by University Compliance and Policy Officer Kiersten Boyce.

The committee spent a majority of the open session discussing compliance with state and federal laws concerning the protection of minors on the College’s campus. Although many underclassmen are not legally minors, the regulations under discussion specifically concerned the large number of elementary  and high school students that visit the College throughout the year, namely in the various youth programs held on campus over the summer.

“I was surprised how many events we conduct that do bring in minors on campus,” Boyce said.

Although the audit has been completed, the College has not yet fully implemented changes. Rather, the report makes several policy suggestions.

“There are already some actions that have been taken,” Boyce said. “There is not full implementation of these recommendations — they were finalized only a couple of weeks ago.”

Suggestions included a mandated ratio of program staff to minors. Although the question of mandatory background checks has been raised, the College has not yet considered it seriously.

Other suggestions include making the process for reporting incidents of sexual abuse more efficient.

“Increasing the information available on reporting mechanisms and reporting obligations is huge,” Boyce said.

—Chris McKenna

BOV Meeting on Academic Affairs and Provost Report 

The Provost Report and a presentation by faculty members highlighted the BOV Academic Affairs Committee Meeting Thursday.

The BOV voted in favor of a policy requiring the different departments and colleges to improve the incorporation of non-tenure eligible faculty, or NTEs, in administrative positions and other aspects of the College.

Questions arose about creating a broad, universal policy to incorporate  these faculty members, but Provost  Michael Halleran spoke in favor of separate policies, as NTEs are used in different ways in different departments.

“This [initiative] does prescribe certain things that must be included,” Halleran said, “[Historically], we have been a fairly decentralized university.”

The faculty presentation described the feelings and thoughts of the assembly and faculty leaders toward next year.

The presenters stressed the growth of the use of technology in the classroom as well as the new NTE policy and other academic initiatives.

“We’re going to make sure that our students continue to have the education you want them to have in these economic times,” Raitt said.

Next, Halleran gave his Provost Report, in which he described the Creative Adaptation Fund.

The Creative Adaptation Fund receives applications and proposals from faculty that suggest policies or initiatives that could positively change the academic efficiency and environment of the school. This is the first year the fund will be utilized, and Halleran is optimistic about its effectiveness.

“What impressed me was the range of proposals,” Halleran said.

The programs selected and funded by the $200,000 budget of the Creative Adaptation Fund include the redesign of the principles of economics course to incorporate an online learning module, a post-baccalaureate classical studies curriculum, a January term program, e-Learning summer courses for faculty, a fee-based Virginia Institute of Marine Science outreach education program, a virtual chemistry lab for General Chemisty 101 and 103 students, and an e-learning curriculum to teach vital prerequisites for a Masters in Accounting.

— Meredith Ramey

Committee on Student Affairs  

Vice President for Student Affairs Ginger Ambler ’88 Ph.D. ’06 introduced several initiatives taken by the Student Health Center during the Committee on Student Affairs meeting Thursday.

The health center has recently purchased new pharmacy software in order to conduct third-party billing and has hired two hourly pharmacists.

With the new staff and software, the health center saw a net profit of $98,726 in fiscal year 2012, which was a 400 percent increase in profits, according to Ambler.

Trammell questioned how wellness and nutrition were being addressed by the College on campus.

“[Vice President for Administration]Anna Martin and I just met with the Food Services Advisory Committee,” Ambler said. “And we’re talking about what we can do to help students make good choices in the dining halls, which would include having things labeled appropriately.”

Ambler also showcased the new At Risk suicide prevention program at the meeting. The program utilizes avatars and guides to direct students how to handle mental health issues.

“We’ve done a lot to support those in need, but ultimately, what we want to do is build resilient skills among students,” Ambler said.

The program will be available to students until May 2013 due to a grant from the McGlade family. Ambler also noted that the College is currently working to secure funding for the program in the future.

—Katherine Chiglinsky

Committee on Development 

The BOV Committee on Development met to discuss two initiatives.

The first resolution moves $25,0

00 in donated money into an endowment fund to provide support for the chemistry department.

The resolution to fund the endowment was approved.

The second resolution addressed funding needs for the Christopher Wren Association. The association requested $60,000 to fund the organization for the upcoming fiscal year.

The committee remained in closed session for the majority of the meeting.

— Ellie Kaufman

Committee on Administration 

Halleran presented to the BOV Committee on Administration Thursday, pointing out the comparatively low pay of professors at the College in relation to their State Council for Higher Education of Virginia peer group.

The College ranked No. 21 in its cohort of 25 universities from across the country in terms of average faculty pay.

“If you look at median as market competitive, we’re just nowhere close,” BOV Secretary Dennis Liberson ’78 said.

VIMS professor and co-chair of the Sustainability Steering Committee Dennis Taylor presented on the state of sustainability at the College, noting an increased awareness of environmental issues, as well as the fact that the College must now face larger-scale issues such as creating a climate action plan and moving to more renewable energy sources.

“This is going to get harder and harder as we go forward …  this is where the real challenges are,” Taylor said.

— Jill Found

Committee on Buildings and Grounds

The BOV may have answered the wishes of many science majors when phase three of the Integrated Science Complex was unveiled at the Committee on Buildings and Grounds meeting Thursday.

Millington Hall lecture rooms and labs will be a thing of the past by spring 2016, as science majors will enjoy a 113,000 square foot complex that holds flexible lab space, a greenhouse, a 300-person lecture hall and a two-story commons area with a coffee and snack bar.

“We were more aggressive in ISC III than we were with ISC I and II in terms of conservation,” Martin said. “[The new complex] groups those departments in optimal adjacencies and creates space for interdisciplinary research.”

The $85 million project was approved by the General Assembly, but was not the only project to receive funding.

“We received more dollars than we expected to,” Martin said.

The money will be used to fund the $2.25 million renovation of the Brafferton and part of a $16.4 million renovation to Tyler Hall, set to begin in July.

Government,economics, international relations and public policy majors, among others, will find their new campus home in Tyler instead of Morton Hall, a relocation welcomed by Reveley. The future of Morton, in Reveley’s eye, involved more landscaping.

“In the near long term, Morton needs to become a beautiful meadow, but we are not there yet,” Reveley said.

Women’s studies, African American studies, sociology and classical studies will remain in Morton.

Greek life will also reap some benefit from construction plans. BOV members were briefed on the groundbreaking and resident selection process of the new inter-fraternity complex.

After noting the widespread student support for the new fraternity housing and the relative success of the resident selection process, Reveley said the new construction will require a cultural change.

“We have gotten flack from fraternity alumni who have bought into the story that we are out to get frats,” Reveley said. “This particular initiative [is] really redeeming social value on three fronts, even though people have pushed back, saying why are [we] doing this for the fraternities when there are so many other needs.”

Reveley’s three fronts included the obvious benefits new housing will give to the 30 percent of the student population  involved in Greek life, the 189 new beds non-Greek students will acquire once the units are available and a makeover of the units themselves.

“Sororities are doing better than fraternities. Fraternities are feeling isolated. The units will go from being downtrodden to a new state of grace where they will be a nice place to live,”  Reveley said. “I am hellbent on giving them names.”

The General Assembly also provided $3.5 million for utilities management and part of an $80 million project to adjust the thermal storage unit.

“When you have dorms, you want them to be truly modern,” BOV Secretary Janet Brashear ’82 said. “This enables us to do that.”

A $3 million accessibility project to improve pathways, signs and other features around campus will also address ten years worth of work, according to Martin.

The College will also oversee the demolition of a graduate house on Jamestown Road.

According to VIMS Dean and Director John Wells, VIMS received funding for a new research vessel, consolidated scientific research facility and the maintenance reserve. all received funding.

— Vanessa Remmers

The senate also passed the His Holiness at the College Act, which funds a visit by the Dalai Lama, and the 2012 Closing of Session Act.

Brett Prestia ’14 was unanimously approved as secretary of finance. Prestia has served as the class of 2014 treasurer for two years and as treasurer of the Delta Phi fraternity.

“I think I’m qualified for the job,” Prestia said. “I’m like a Lannister, if you watch Game of Thrones.”

The senate also approved Stacey LaRiviere ’14 as secretary of public affairs. LaRiviere previously served as undersecretary of public affairs in Richmond and led the Road to Richmond program this past year.

“I’m really, really excited for public affairs this year,” LaRiviere said. “I really want to increase the relationships students have with the Richmond legislators. … I think public affairs is moving in a wonderful direction.”

Ben Migdol ’13 was unanimously approved as secretary of college policy.

“It’s a big year with a lot of important things going on in a lot of different areas, and I’m pretty familiar with most of these concerns,” Migdol said.

The senate unanimously approved Emily Wade ’15 as secretary of student rights. Wade served as a senator this past year.

“I had the extreme fortune of working with Emily over the last year on the Policy Committee,” Dallen McNerney ’14 said. “She is very well prepared for next year. I think she is a fantastic choice.”

Neal Chabra ’14 was unanimously approved as secretary of diversity initiatives.

“I would like to strive to continue the efforts of this year’s secretary, Brianna May, to further integrate the campus improving the cosponsoring of events and other events sponsored by the SA and other multicultural organizations,” Chabra said.

The senate approved McNerney as secretary of student life. McNerney served as a senator for the past two years and acted as chair of the Senate Policy Committee in the previous year.

“I couldn’t think of anybody better for this position other than Dallen,” Noah Kim ’13 said. “I think Dallen is uniquely equipped to do an amazing job.”

Three students, acting under the secretary of public affairs, will oversee major areas in which students are politically involved. SA President Curt Mills ’13 said the change was made in an effort to streamline the new administration and its duties.

The senate approved Scott Caravello ’15 as director of public affairs in Williamsburg, and unanimously approved Keenan Kelley ’14 as director of public affairs in Richmond and Jill Olszewski ’12 as director of public affairs in Washington, D.C.

L’Allegro Smith ’15 and Dan Casey ’14 were also unanimously approved at the meeting as undersecretaries of public affairs to Richmond.

The senate approved Director of Voter Registration Zach Woodward ‘14 for a second year in at the position.

“[This year] we were able, for the first time ever, to get a freshman in every freshman hall working to register their fellow residents,” Woodward said.

The senate did not approve Felix Schapiro ’15 as undersecretary of voter registration, viewing the appointment as a conflict of interest due to Schapiro’s previous consideration of a Williamsburg City Council candidacy and the possibility of his pursuing this campaign again in the future, according to Senator Danielle Waltrip ’14.

The senate unanimously approved Kylee Ponder ’11 M.Ed. ’13 and Drew Chlan ’13 as undersecretaries of public affairs to the Board of Visitors.  Scott Hardy J.D. ’13 was unanimously approved as chairman of the review board.

“I think a law student would be particularly good for this review committee,” Mills said.

The review board handles conflicts and issues between different branches of student government in addition to issues that occur during the elections process. The senate also approved David Wasserstein ’14, Alex Costa ’13, Natalie Roberts ’15 and Christina Larson ’14 as justices of the review board.

Midway through the approval process, Sen. Mark Hubor ’12 lectured the senate on their lack of discussion of the nominees.

“I think passing these people through with no senator interest is kind of ludicrous,” Hubor said.

The Sen. also heard an appeal by representatives of the Mason School of Business which asked for $4,000 to fund an annual international student organization event. Following debate, the senate allocated $2,500 to the organization of the event in a vote of nine to five.

Kim, acting as a representative from the Honor Council Review Committee, spoke on the various initiatives and changes the committee has put forth and then listened to feedback from members of the senate.

The senate’s unanimous approval of the His Holiness at the College Act resulted in the allocation of $3,500 from the Student Activities and Events Fund and also promised the future allocation of $26,500 from the fund this summer since it has been replenished with next year’s student activities fees.

“I think that this is exactly the kind of programming this College needs to engage in,” Sen. Ishan Bardhan ’13 said. “The only thing I’ve ever associated the SA with is free massage chairs in Swem. We are going to be very visible in this whole process. … [The Dalai Lama] is the single coolest person.”

The senate’s last piece of business for the year, the 2012 Closing of Session Act, formerly closed the 319th Senate and carried over four pieces of business from the last session. These included the Economic and WSJ Act, the HPV Vaccination Subsidization Act, the Quarter Machine Act and the SA Presidential Runoff Act.

The proposal must still be approved by the governor and return to the General Assembly before it will take effect, but the current version contains contradictory decisions regarding support for the College.

“The College fares very well on the capital side, the investments in the early stages of planning for Tyler Hall being especially appreciated,” College Provost Michael Halleran said. “The operating budget presents a mixed picture.  There are new funds contributed by the state, but also state-mandated new costs.”

The academic expectations create a costly financial model, according to College President Taylor Reveley.

“Our undergraduate program is not a state school undergraduate program, it is a very different kind,” Reveley said. “We have had the best undergraduate program, hands down, of any state school in the country — or for that matter, in the galaxy. That is an expensive model, because it involves a lot of professors and a lot of what we call ‘engaged learning’ — professors actually knowing students, actually dealing with students, in-class and out. This is very expensive.”

The steadily decreasing level of state funding, currently as low as 12.9 percent, has placed an increasingly large burden on the College to finance itself. The next budget authorizes a long-desired College-wide salary bonus for this year and a base pay increase in fiscal year 2014, but leaves the College to provide 70 percent of the funding for both measures.

“The last state-authorized base salary increase was in 2007,” Director of University Relations Brian Whitson said. “The most recently passed state budget includes the 3 percent bonus, which of course does not go into the base salary. But they include a 2 percent [increase] in 2014 on base salaries. That would be the first increase in 6 years [that] the state has authorized.”

While many deem these changes refreshing and overdue, the budget proposal is not entirely beneficial to the College. In addition to requiring the College to meet 70 percent of pay increases, the General Assembly also mandated that the College contribute more to its employee health benefits fund as well as the employees’ retirement fund for College employees.

Despite the allocation of funding for capital construction projects, these additional fiscal burdens cost the College more money than it is being granted. Nevertheless, College administrators remain optimistic for the time being, relieved largely because state funding did not decrease any further and the highly politicized in-state and out-of-state student ratio remained unaltered.

“I am very optimistic, upbeat and cheerful about William and Mary’s capacity in the years ahead, to build a new financial foundation for itself that will be quite adequate to its mission,” Reveley said. “That foundation is going to have to stand on … earned income, on philanthropy, and on campus productivity. You must have all three. … We have one of the rare balances where our tenured faculty actually teaches and does research and scholarship. But that too is expensive. So, we are running an expensive model, and the challenge is to find the resources to sustain it.”

College administrators note that this budget does break, in part, the trend established in 2008 of cutting deeply into state support.

From 2008 to 2010, Halleran notes the state reduced its support to the College by more than $17 million. In comparison, state support for fiscal year 2012 is expected to be at 12.9 percent of the operating budget, as opposed to 14.8 percent.

In an attempt to counteract the decades-long trend of steadily decreasing state support for the College, different groups have increased their advocacy of the College’s interests in Richmond. Representatives such as Sen. Tommy Norment J.D. ’73, R-3, and Del. Mike Watson, R-93, actively support the College within the General Assembly, while College programs such as Road to Richmond connect students and faculty with their representatives.

“I think the Student Assembly can do a lot [to advocate the College’s interests in Richmond], but the principal advocate of the College will continue to be President Reveley,” SA President Curt Mills ’13 said. “Higher education has been slashed left and right, and William and Mary is under great pressure … [yet] I think William and Mary is extremely well represented in Richmond.”

The budget proposal has additional legislative and executive hurdles to face before it becomes law, and the College’s Board of Visitors has yet to voice a reaction on the proposed budget.