The Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center board on Dec. 10 adopted revisions to its remote‑meeting policy after the center’s attorney summarized recent changes to state law that expand circumstances where remote participation counts toward quorum.

Adam Kane, agency counsel with the Virginia Office of the Attorney General, told trustees that the code now permits a board member to be counted toward quorum when participating remotely for specified reasons — for example, being more than 60 miles from the meeting site, caring for an individual with a disability, or because of a personal medical condition. Kane also noted an administrative change affecting the allowable share of meetings conducted entirely virtually (an adjustment described in the meeting as a change from a prior 25% threshold to 50% or two meetings per year).

“The first change … is that there are four instances when a board member can virtually participate,” Kane said while walking trustees through the highlighted policy revisions.

A trustee moved to adopt the revisions; the motion was seconded and the board voted in favor. The chair announced the motion carried and the updated remote‑meeting policy was adopted.

During his executive‑director report, David Matlock said the center’s general revenue allocation for the current period is $2,871,813, with a state additional appropriation of a little over $55,000. Matlock said non‑general revenue was projected at $785,000 and that carry‑forward or current non‑general funds were about $707,000. He told trustees payroll and benefits are running under budget while marketing expenses are expected to exceed the FY25 budget because invoices for a new website and marketing arrived in June and were charged to the prior fiscal year budget cycle.

“We will exceed our budgeted amount in marketing for FY25,” Matlock said, adding that overall revenue is trending ahead of projections and the center expects to finish the fiscal year in good shape.

Matlock also updated trustees on facility projects: SimLab construction is progressing though slower than hoped, and a window‑replacement project is roughly 95% complete with remaining punch‑list work being coordinated through UVA facilities and legal counsel.

The board approved the minutes from its June 13 meeting earlier in the session and later adjourned after routine closing remarks. No public comments were received during the allotted public‑comment period.

Next steps: the board will circulate scheduling options for the June meeting and trustees were invited to a reception following adjournment.