Thursday April 22 and Friday April 23, the Board of Visitors of the College of William and Mary met to discuss several campus-wide topics of conversation and debate. These dialogues included: the naming and renaming of academic buildings, the COVID-19 pandemic, discrimination and harassment reports as well as their commitment to expand international recognition by increasing awareness of undergraduate research and other successes.
The executive committee met first to cover commencement, tuition, COVID-19 and an undergraduate research project that recently made world news and was published in the scientific journal, Nature Communications.
The study concluded that nuclear fallout from the Cold War is still present in today’s honey. The research was conducted by James Kaste, an associate professor in the College’s geology department, along with Andrew J. Elmore, a University of Maryland professor of landscape ecology and Paul Volante ’20.
“Here’s what’s great about having our research elevated at this level…” College President Katherine Rowe said. “It’s research that began with students, or undergraduates, and it’s just one of those moments that is the core of our mission. It is something lovely that showcases that there are many other moments that we could talk about, some other celebrations to share.”
“Here’s what’s great about having our research elevated at this level…” College President Katherine Rowe said. “It’s research that began with students, or undergraduates, and it’s just one of those moments that is the core of our mission. It is something lovely that showcases that there are many other moments that we could talk about, some other celebrations to share.”
Rowe also shared new information pertaining to the 2021 virtual and in-person commencement celebrations. She explained that the ceremony will be divided into six separate events in order to be consistent Centers for Disease Control guidelines. Each graduate will have the opportunity to walk across the stage, something that has not been done in decades.
Later in the meeting, Chief Operating Officer Amy S. Sebring and the committee celebrated the recent successes in the College’s coronavirus response efforts. After reaching a peak of 111 positive cases from mid to late March, Sebring said that as of April 22, the College only had four active cases.
“We’ve been working very closely with three regional clinics and trying to offer the best opportunities for vaccinations for employees and more recently for students,” Sebring said. “Based on survey results, we’ve had about 75% of our employees respond to the survey and of those that responded at least 89% already had one dose and only three of them indicated that they don’t plan to do so.”
The board members anticipate that mask-wearing will continue throughout the summer and into next school year. The College will also continue to abide by the CDC and state guidelines and remain up-to-date on new research on the virus and vaccines while also planning ahead for a potential return to in-person classes. Sebring also mentioned that they will be pursuing a conversation with state officials regarding COVID-19 vaccine requirements for students returning to campus.
Last year, a call to action by student activist across campus on the naming and renaming of campus buildings, spaces and departments was made. Friday, the board approved the resolution at the meeting and will rename Morton Hall, Taliaferro Hall and Tyler Hall. The arcade at Cary Field and the Lyon Gardiner Tyler Department of History will also be renamed to honor figures representative of the College’s core values.
JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT
“William and Mary educates complex problem solvers, who approach the world’s most difficult challenges from multiple angles and perspectives,” Rowe said in regard to work done by the College in conjunction with students and families of those most affected by the College’s racist history. “We deal in deliberate and measured modes of knowledge making. We understand an instance of disagreement as a path to growth that ultimately makes us stronger.”
The decision reinforced the College’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion works to promote DEI and takes measures to prevent harassment and discrimination.
Chief Compiance Officer Pamela Mason reported that the third quarter data for the 2021 fiscal year showed that overall reports in compliance are down but that reports in the discrimination and harassments have gone up.
“One thing that I noted when putting the data together that under the discrimination cases there were six, and three of those who are actually relating to gender identity, and specifically the use of pronouns,” Mason said. “I think this is an area where we can work with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Center for Student Diversity, to do some more education around why it’s important for people to be able to use their pronouns of choice, and to just make that a more welcoming aspect in our classrooms.”
“One thing that I noted when putting the data together that under the discrimination cases there were six, and three of those who are actually relating to gender identity, and specifically the use of pronouns,” Mason said. “I think this is an area where we can work with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Center for Student Diversity, to do some more education around why it’s important for people to be able to use their pronouns of choice, and to just make that a more welcoming aspect in our classrooms.”
In the executive and finance meetings, the board discussed tuition and decided that it will remain the same for the upcoming school year as they recognize that many students and families are still dealing with pandemic-related financial challenges. However, it was mentioned that in years to come, there will be an expected increase in tuition due to the unsustainability of the current cost.
At the committee on audit, risk and compliance meeting, Vice Dean Eric Chason brought attention to errors auditors found in the verification process for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Since discovering the errors, corrections have been made to the overall awards and reimbursements have been distributed.
“The verification process is an important part of making sure that information is accurate, because it is used to calculate need based aid that is awarded to students,” Chason said. “In the expected family contribution that is required as part of that calculation, we noted several instances where the required information that was obtained from the student had not been reviewed in sufficient detail to make adjustments to the FAFSA.”
In the same meeting, it was also announced that the athletics department will be updating its current budget monitoring processes in accordance with NCAA reporting requirements.
In addition to the enhanced process, the athletics department will also be developing an improved system of documentation and development procedures. The Tribe Club, a major fundraiser for the College’s athletics, is also scheduled to transition beneath the William & Mary Foundation in the upcoming year.
The board reported analyses and changes to the Six Year Plan which included increasing the priority to fund the operations of the studio for teaching and learning in Earl Gregg Swem Library as well as the priority for on-campus residence hall renovations. It was also mentioned that the Sadler Center West expansion will make room for an upgraded dining facility as the current facility has not been updated in almost 20 years. The plan also calls for an expansion of internship opportunities for students. Associate Vice President for Career Development Kathleen Powell noted in the committee meeting on the student experience that the College achieved a major milestone in the goal by earning the number one ranking for the best school for internships in the 2021 Princeton Review.
During the full board meeting, university leaders with major roles in pandemic response answered COVID-19 related questions. They discussed how the pandemic has changed them as people, how the experience has matured the university and the lessons that could be taken into the future. Time was spent celebrating the accomplishments of the COVID-19 response and the fact that, while there were times where it seemed like everything would crumble, the community pulled through.
Many of the panelists acknowledged that they saw strength and creativity within the College that arose through the adversity.