Gov. Abigail Spanberger will decide whether to sign legislation that would change Virginia’s college governing boards, such as lengthening the terms of new board appointments and requiring a model for shared governance.
These revisions are designed to make the boards of visitors less politically partisan, said state Sen. Creigh Deeds, chief patron of the senate bill, which has an identical companion that passed through the house.
Deeds, a Democrat whose district includes the University of Virginia, said the legislation comes after months of politically motivated controversy surrounding the governing bodies and administrations, including the resignation of UVA President Jim Ryan.
“The academic world — higher education — is the key to our future economic progress,” Deeds said. “That’s too big to be torn under partisanship.”
Spanberger has until April 13 to decide if the legislation will become law.
The bills would lengthen the terms of members appointed to a college’s board of visitors from four years to six. Over time, Deeds said, that would mean no more than half the members of a board are appointed by a single governor. Those already appointed would finish their four-year terms.
The legislation outlines there be further assurances of the shared governance at public colleges,. The bill calls for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to convene groups that develop policies promoting shared governance. The groups would specifically review how outside legal council is used by a governing board and procedures for when a university’s legal council is determined not to be acting in the best interest of the institution.
Additionally, the bills codifies positions be set aside on a university’s board of visitors for a representative of the university’s faculty, the staff and a student. The faculty, staff and student members of the board would not have voting power.
“The faculty, the students and the staff are a lot of what a university is,” Deeds said. “They need to have input into the inner workings of the university itself.”
All Virginia university governing boards would be set at 18 members under the bills. Across Virginia, different colleges’ boards have varying numbers of members.
Del. Lily Franklin, a Democrat representing Montgomery County and parts of Roanoke County, is the chief patron of the identical house bill. The bills awaiting Spanberger’s signature adopt a past version of the legislation credited to Democratic Sen. Scott Surovell, who represents the eastern part of Fairfax County.
John Buzbee, 757-879-7421, john.buzbee@virginiamedia.com