Board of Visitors reviews blueprint for analyzing April 16 recommendations
The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors received a briefing at a special meeting September 23 on how the university plans to evaluate the hundreds of recommendations resulting from various reviews resulting from the Tragedy of April 16.
“Reviewing, understanding, analyzing, prioritizing, and tracking the many recommendations represent a major project management task. We have created a blueprint for the next steps,” said President Charles W. Steger.
With 380 recommendations, large and small, ranging from whether to lock all academic and administrative buildings to whether to devote file servers to emergency activities, the recommendations are far reaching. “Some items are already implemented or underway. But others will require careful analysis, cost evaluation, and campus wide discussions,” said Steger.
A matrix developed by the Office of the Senior Fellow for Resource Development under former Executive Vice President Minnis Ridenour, links the various recommendations from the Virginia Tech Review Panel (the governor’s panel) and the three internal review committees on Security Infrastructure; Information and Communications Infrastructure; and the Interface between Counseling Services, Judicial Affairs, Academic Affairs, and Legal. It includes project management tools to appropriately task, evaluate, and act on the myriad recommendations.
Each recommendation will be under the purview of a vice president or vice provost. “Although many recommendations are already in the process of implementation, we expect that analysis, evaluation, and identification of funding sources likely will require most of the academic year. And of course, many recommendations such as changes to state or federal codes rest outside the university’s purview but we will be tracking closely,” said Steger.
In order to ensure campus input where needed, President Steger is appointing two advisory groups composed of faculty, staff and students. The Committee on Human Dimensions will be chaired by Vice President for Student Affairs Zenobia Hikes, and the Committee on Security and Infrastructure will be chaired by Dean of the Pamplin College of Business Richard Sorenson.
The Board also reviewed and approved an update to the six year plan as required under the Higher Education Restructuring Act. The law asks the university to develop six year plans to forecast enrollment, budget needs and tuition, and certain academic activities related to the Restructuring Act goals.
Read a statement by Rector of the Board of Visitors, Jacob Lutz, regarding the Virginia Tech Action Plan.
