Governance of Technical and Engineering Education in India - Learning Forum Pilot
INSTITUTIONAL CASE STUDY: USA
VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY (VIRGINIA TECH)
BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA
SECTION ONE: the unique context of the institution in terms of the mission, size and shape
Basic facts i
•
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia, is
a state university with the legal status of a state agency
•
Enrolment 2006-2007: Total 28,470 (84% undergraduate, 15% graduate, 1% medical)
•
Degree levels: 1 associate degree program granting 1% of degrees, 21 bachelor’s degree
programs granting 73% of degrees, 21 master’s degree programs granting 21% of degrees, 16
doctoral programs granting 5% of degrees, and a medical school granting 1% of degrees.
•
Engineering degrees: 2006-2007: 1,432 engineering degrees granted: 981 bachelors, 323
masters and 128 doctoral degrees, in 17 engineering specialties.
•
Full-time faculty: 1,340
Organizational structure
•
The President of the University is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Board of
Visitors. In addition to the Senior Vice President and Provost, there are 12 vice presidents
responsible for areas such as finance, administration, undergraduate education, graduate
education, research, student affairs, and information technology.
•
The University Council is the principal governing body within the University. Its functions as
to advise the President of the University on matters of university governance; accept
functions and authority delegated to it by the President of the University, review and make
recommendations on matters of concern to the faculty, staff, students, and administration,
such matters being placed on the University Council agenda by any Council member in
accordance with this Constitution and its accompanying Bylaws, refer appropriate matters to
the commissions, advisory councils, Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, groups, or individuals for
consideration and recommendations. Membership includes the University President, vice
presidents and other senior administrators (ex officio) and elected members from the Faculty
Senate, Staff Senate, Student Assembly, and other university constituencies.
Board of visitors
Governing board: A Board of Visitors, appointed by the governor of Virginia, is composed of 13
members, headed by the “rector” who is elected from the members of the Board of Visitors.
Specific powers of the Board of Visitors are to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Provide oversight and leadership at their respective institutions
Set broad policy goals and priorities for their institutions
Select a President to manage the day-to-day operations
Evaluate the President to ensure compliance with statutory mandates and board goals, priorities,
and directives
Establish rules and regulations for the admission of students and graduation requirements,
conduct of students, employment of professors, teachers, instructors, and all other employees and
provide for their dismissal for failure to abide by such rules and regulations
Review and approve budget requests to the Governor and General Assembly for state
appropriations
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Governance of Technical and Engineering Education in India - Learning Forum Pilot
INSTITUTIONAL CASE STUDY: USA
VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY (VIRGINIA TECH)
BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA
7.
Ensure academic integrity at the institution, including, reviewing the curriculum and faculty
productivity
8. Set tuition and fee charges
9. Lease, sell, or convey any and all real estate with the approval of the Governor
10. Provide oversight of institutionally affiliated foundations
11. Ensure institution is accountable for the effective and efficient use of Virginia taxpayer dollars
provided to it.
SECTION TWO: Decision authority:
The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors has significant autonomy to undertake the powers in section
one, subject to oversight by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and the
specific provisions of the Management Agreement governing the relationship of the University to
the Commonwealth as a “covered” institution under the 2005 Restructured Higher Education
Financial and Administrative Operations Act. The Board of Visitors retains final authority on key
policy decisions but delegates authority for leadership and management decisions to the
president. The key university constituencies (faculty, students, and senior administrators) are
engaged in the decision-making process through the University Council and other internal
university governance mechanisms.
As noted in the state case study of Virginia, despite the formal decentralized character of Virginia
higher education, the reality is that multiple state agencies regulate aspects of university
operations. For example, SCHEV must approve all new academic programs and has authority to
discontinue academic programs that fail to meet certain productivity requirements and (3)
SCHEV must approve any significant reorganization of academic units (new colleges, branches,
etc.). Virginia Tech is one of three universities (the others were the University of Virginia and
the College of William and Mary) to which the state granted “Level III” autonomy (classified
as “covered” institutions) under the 2005 Restructuring Act. This was negotiated in 2005 with the
Governor and key cabinet officials and then enacted into law in 2006. This management
agreement grants the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors additional decision-making authority in
the area of human resource management that is accorded only to Level III “covered”
universities.
The Board of Visitors has formal authority to set tuition and fee levels, but the General
Assembly has continued in effort to limit tuition and fee increases through the budget and
appropriations process.
External quality assurance is carried out primarily through the voluntary accreditation process.
Virginia Tech is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and by
numerous specialized accrediting bodies. For example, all engineering programs are accredited
by ABET. In addition, SCHEV has additional regulatory and accountability requirements that
institutions undertake assessment of student learning and take other steps to monitor and
improve quality.
The 2005 Restructuring Act includes specific accountability requirements that Virginia Tech and
other universities link with economic development initiatives and efforts to improve elementary
and secondary education. Decisions regarding the specific university initiates are the
responsibility of the university president or his or her designee.
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Governance of Technical and Engineering Education in India - Learning Forum Pilot
INSTITUTIONAL CASE STUDY: USA
VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY (VIRGINIA TECH)
BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA
SECTION THREE: Recent changes that relate to governance?
Virginia Tech along with the University of Virginia and the College of William and Mary were
the early leaders in efforts to increase university autonomy in Virginia. While there initial
proposals were not adopted, the 2005 Restructuring Act significantly increased university
authority while at the same time increasing performance and accountability requirements (see
Virginia case study).
SECTION FOUR: Lessons for other institutions (in India or internationally) in terms of the
challenges of establishing greater autonomy and the ‘right’ levels of accountability and
‘good governance’ for higher education?
See lessons from Virginia state case study
Endnotes
i
National Center for Education Statistics, IEPDS (from NCHEMS database), 2006-2007.
References
Commonwealth of Virginia, An Act providing management agreements between the
Commonwealth and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, The College of William
and Mary in Virginia, and the University of Virginia, respectively, pursuant to the Restructured
Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operations Act, Chapter 4.10 (§ 23-38.88 et seq.)
of the Code of Virginia.
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Governance of Technical and Engineering Education in India - Learning Forum Pilot
INSTITUTIONAL CASE STUDY: USA
VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY (VIRGINIA TECH)
BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA
Couturier, Lara K. (2006). Checks and Balances at Work: The Restructuring of Virginia’s Public
Higher Education System. San Jose: National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education,
June 2006. See the following link for copy of full report:
http://www.highereducation.org/reports/checks_balances/
See Virginia Tech website for additional information on university governance and Management
Agreement entered into according to the 2005 Restructuring Act.
http://www.vt.edu/restructuring/management-agreement.html
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