Board of visitors advances recreation fields project, discusses proposed transit facility
At the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors meeting held today, members received a design preview of the proposed Multi-Modal Transit Facility, signaling another significant step in the university’s planned development of the North Campus Precinct.
The proposed 12,000 gross square foot, two-story facility, to be located on Perry Street adjacent to the existing parking garage, will reduce bus traffic around the Drillfield, improve pedestrian safety across campus, and benefit from planned roadway improvements on West Campus Drive and Stager Street. Construction could start as soon as 2016.
A comprehensive story on the Multi-Modal Transit Facility will be published in Virginia Tech News later this week.
In other business, the board passed a resolution to revise the university’s anti-discrimination and harassment policy. Virginia Tech will now include gender identity and gender expression in its non-discrimination policy.
The board also approved a resolution authorizing the university to complete the design, construction, and equipping of the South Recreation Field Surface Replacement project. The $4.6 million project will replace natural turf fields with synthetic turf on the heavily used facility.
At their meeting held earlier in the day, the Building and Grounds Committee received reports on the university sustainability efforts and the University Master Plan.
Leaders from the Student Government Association, Graduate Student Assembly, and Commission on Student Affairs provided the Student Affairs and Athletics Committee with an overview of organizational structure and goals for the upcoming year. In addition, Frank Shushok, senior associate vice president for student affairs, led a group presentation on the Aspirations for Student Learning and Curriculum.
The Academic Affairs Committee received reports on the new bachelor’s degree program in real estate, the changes in the university’s inclusion and diversity efforts, and the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine’s Chennai program.
On Sunday, the Research Committee received an update on the VT-India project last year.
The board honored former university president Charles W. Steger with the title, “president emeritus,” in recognition of his 14 year as university president and his more than 40 years of service to Virginia Tech.
Thirteen other faculty and staff members were honored with emerita or emeritus status. Stories on each of these individuals will appear in Virginia Tech News beginning Thursday, Sept. 18.
In addition, nine current faculty members were appointed to endowed professorship or fellowships. Stories on each of these individuals will appear in Virginia Tech News beginning Wednesday, Sept. 17.
The next full Virginia Tech Board of Visitors meeting will be held Nov. 9 and 10, 2014, in Blacksburg. More information on the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors may be found online.
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.
