Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Board Votes topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
UMW Board approves faculty handbook updates, new counseling master’s, tuition and several policies
Summary
At its April 16–17 meeting the University of Mary Washington Board of Visitors approved comprehensive faculty handbook revisions, a Master of Science in Counseling, the Classic Learning Test for applicants, a name‑image‑likeness policy, donor endowments and the 2026–27 tuition and fees; most motions passed unanimously.
The University of Mary Washington Board of Visitors approved multiple governance and academic items during its April 16–17 meeting, including comprehensive updates to the faculty handbook, a new Master of Science in Counseling, admissions and student‑athlete policies, donor terms for two endowments and tuition and fee changes for 2026–27.
The board voted to adopt a set of six motions revising Section 7 of the faculty handbook to codify promotion and tenure procedures, align appeals committee membership and make editorial changes to sync Section 7 across the handbook. Chair Rachel U. Gressler moved the committee recommendation; Mr. Timothy S. Pohanka seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Also approved was the Master of Science in Counseling, which UMW developed after a regional needs analysis by Tripp Umbach. The program includes clinical mental health and school counseling tracks and was presented as meeting Council for Accreditation of Counseling‑related program standards and Virginia licensing requirements; the board approved the program by unanimous vote.
On admissions testing, the board approved adding the Classic Learning Test (CLT) to the list of tests applicants may submit under the university’s test‑optional policy. Provost Timothy O’Donnell noted the University Faculty Council had discussed and accepted the CLT. The board likewise moved and approved a state‑required name, image and likeness (NIL) policy clarifying permitted activities for student athletes and committing to annual reporting on participation.
Finance committee business included approval of a tuition and fees package for 2026–27. The board approved a tuition and comprehensive fee proposal and companion adjustments to housing and dining as presented to the board. Chief financial staff emphasized the draft budget assumptions reflect uncertainty in Richmond (including salary and health‑insurance pressure) and were prepared conservatively; trustees asked for additional reserve and enrollment detail during committee review but voted to approve the presented package.
The board also approved donor resolutions establishing criteria and terms for two endowments (the Blakemore scholarship and the Smith international affairs scholarship) and passed personnel actions including faculty leadership awards, the Anderson Professorship and the April 2026 personnel docket. Where motions were recorded, they were moved, seconded and recorded as passing unanimously; individual roll‑call tallies were not recorded in the posted minutes.
What happens next: supporting documents for each approved item are posted to the board docs agenda. The strategic action plan will return in a streamlined form for board review and vote at the June 12 meeting.
