During its recent quarterly sessions on June 8-9, 2023, 福利导在线观看鈥檚 Board of Visitors addressed business that included receiving the president鈥檚 report, hearing recommendations from its newly established task force on free expression, holding a vote to determine the rector and vice rector for the next year and acknowledging the expiration of the terms of three of its members, as well as its student representative.
In his report, President Bret Danilowicz said that over the course of his first year on campus, he had been developing a framework for 福利导在线观看鈥檚 next strategic plan. The current plan concludes in December, and the president seeks to follow it with a shortened strategic plan, one running two years instead of the traditional five, which he said will immediately address key current issues.
This new plan, Danilowicz said, will focus on four principal goals:
- Define Radford鈥檚 distinctive nature: 鈥淲e must rebrand Radford and communicate how we have earned distinction as an institution and our commitment to the success of all Highlander students.鈥�
- Stabilize enrollment: 鈥淲e need to reset our practices for segmenting and engaging potential new freshmen and transfer students 鈥�. We have to improve on the success of our students through increased focus on retention, progression and graduation because that鈥檚 also necessary to stabilize enrollment.鈥�
- Drive economic development in partnership with the community: 鈥淭hrough businesses and government, we鈥檒l create work-based learning opportunities for students with a focus on internships, apprenticeships and co-ops.鈥�
- Streamline the institution through increased efficiency and effectiveness: Doing so 鈥渨ill help to serve our position as a very affordable institution within the commonwealth.鈥�
The strategy will be refined over the summer and fall and presented for a vote in December. Later next year, work will begin on an expanded strategic plan to run across a full five years, from January 2026 through December 2030.
During his report, the president also acknowledged the legacy of Rachel Davis Fowlkes, Ed.D., who died on April 1. Fowlkes, at that time, was serving her second term on the 福利导在线观看 Board of Visitors and was the board liaison to the Radford University Foundation.
He announced that Fowlkes was posthumously presented the 2023 Outstanding Leadership Award by the Virginia Network for Women in Higher Education. She was nominated prior to her passing by Associate Professor Theresa Burriss, who coordinates Radford鈥檚 Ed.D. in Education program. The award recognizes women leaders who have made significant contributions to higher education in Virginia and was presented later that same day, June 9, to her son John Fowlkes at the organization鈥檚 state conference at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Department of Design chair Holly Cline, Ph.D., and Executive Director for Alumni Relations Laura Turk '87, M.S. '90, also attended the reception, representing Radford.
Danilowicz also acknowledged the recent establishment of the , which supports non-traditional students from Southwest Virginia who attend Radford University.
Also during the meeting: Heather Keith, chair of Radford鈥檚 Task Force for Civil Discourse and Freedom of Expression, presented recommendations formulated over the past several months for improving public communication on campus.
鈥淲e know that sometimes discussions can be really polarized and difficult, and we have to navigate them carefully because we want our students to have that sense of trust and belonging 鈥� so that we don鈥檛 have students who feel like they are outcasts, that their voice isn't being heard, that their opinion doesn't't matter, and that they can鈥檛 learn to make reasoned arguments and be part of our discussions,鈥� Keith told the board.
The 12-member task force suggested the following outcomes:
- Campus constituents (students, faculty, staff, administration, Board of Visitors) will build skills and dispositions for constructive dialogue across perspectives and differences.
- The campus climate will instill a sense of trust, inclusion and belonging, making constructive dialogue more likely.
- University policies and procedures will align with our commitment to constructive dialogue and freedom of expression.
- Establish and maintain an advisory group and sustained opportunities over time for the practice of constructive dialogue and freedom of expression.
In order to meet those goals, the task force issued a draft statement on freedom of expression and constructive discourse and proposed a two-year action plan focused on the outcomes, to be followed by future action plans moving into the future.
Some components of the initial action plan include a student response team trained
by an outside facilitator; embedding the current work of the Constructive Dialogue
Institute into orientation; the modeling of good practices by faculty and administrators;
relevant guest speakers each year; and increased online access to First Amendment
resources.
Last year, Gov. Glenn Youngkin sent a request to the Council of Presidents of Virginia鈥檚
public colleges and universities, asking them to promote intellectual diversity and
the free exchange of ideas. Soon after, Radford became one of a dozen Virginia schools
to partner with the Constructive Dialogue Institute, and at a Board of Visitors meeting
in December, Danilowicz cited a statement to be issued by the Virginia Council of
Presidents that conveys 鈥渙ur collective agreement in the support of freedom of expression
on our campuses.鈥�
During the June 9 meeting, the president reaffirmed the school鈥檚 commitment to free expression.
鈥淭his has to be a university priority,鈥� Danilowicz said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 critical for enrollment management, making sure that for students coming here, everybody is welcome and everybody is welcome to have a dialogue.
鈥淚 fully embrace the recommendations for what this task force is doing.鈥�
The board voted for a second term for its current rector, Debra K. McMahon, Ph.D., who ascended to that position on July 1, 2022. It also selected Marquett Smith 鈥�85, BOV liaison to the 福利导在线观看 Foundation, to serve as its new vice-rector; Smith succeeds Jay A. Brown, Ph.D., who just completed his second term.
Board members Mark Lawrence, who has completed two full terms, and David A. Smith '85, M.S. '87, and Lisa Throckmorton 鈥�94, who have completed one full term, were recognized for their service.
In her remarks, Throckmorton said she remains eligible for another term and hopes to return.
鈥淚 just want to share how grateful I am for the opportunity to serve the commonwealth and my alma mater on this Board of Visitors,鈥� she told the board. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been one of the most meaningful experiences鈥� one of the best experiences of my life.鈥�
She thanked others for inspiration and assistance, including members who passed away over the past year 鈥� Fowlkes, as well as Susan Whealler Johnston, Ph.D., and Charlene A. Curtis 鈥�76.
鈥淚鈥檓 so proud to be in your company,鈥� Throckmorton said.
New graduate Michaela Baker delivered her final report as the board鈥檚 student representative. noting that she recently met with student leaders to develop their plans for the fall semester, with an eye toward helping smaller groups on campus find greater exposure.
She also connected with the incoming student representative, Troy Stallard, a biomedical science major from Roanoke, Virginia, who will serve in 2023-2024.
Baker told the board that although she was active on campus across all four years of her undergraduate career, she鈥檇 still found the prospect of being the student representative somewhat daunting.
鈥淚t was just something I knew I had to do because I really wanted to be involved,鈥�
she said, later adding: 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a great opportunity to learn from you all and have
this experience.鈥�
In other business, Kirk Cox, president of the Virginia Business Higher Education Council,
joined Mark Pace, a VBHEC board member, in a dual presentation on their organization鈥檚
behalf. They spoke of the importance of supporting the state鈥檚 higher education institutes,
giving Virginia-educated graduates incentives to stay local and of the mutually beneficial
relationship between those graduates and the state鈥檚 economy.
The next quarterly Board of Visitors meeting is scheduled for Sept. 7-8, 2023 with a Board Retreat on July 23-25, 2023.
can be streamed on YouTube, and the board鈥檚 agendas and meeting materials are available online.