September 26, 2008 12:35PM
A lot of news from the last two weeks.
Firstly, SDS did some flyering around campus last week. Here are some pictures from that.
Then, a bill was proposed in the Student Assembly concerning the loss of voice in the presidential search. Here's the full text of the bill:
To respond to the lack of a Presidential Search
The BOV Presidential Search Act
An Act of the 316th Student As
sembly of the College of William and Mary,
Sponsored by Senator Walter McClean from the Class of
WHEREAS, Rector Michael Powell stated in his Feb 12th, 2008 email that “The College will begin a search for a new president immediately”;
WHEREAS, there was no search process;
WHEREAS, Rector Michael Powell indicated the BOV’s decision to not search for a President in his September 3rd, 2008 email when he stated “In February of last year we appointed Taylor Reveley as interim president and initially thought we would start a search immediately”;
WHEREAS, Rector Michael Powell’s September 5th email stated “After careful consideration and with the benefit of input from the faculty, students, staff and alumni, the Board decided to eliminate Taylor Reveley’s interim designation and formally appoint him the 27th President of William and Mary for a term of 3 years.”;
WHEREAS, many students are upset at the lack of a search though feel favorably towards President Taylor Reveley;
Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary –
- Declares its support for the ongoing work and dedication of President Reveley;
- Requests that the BOV identify how it took its “input” from “faculty, students, staff, and alumni” to reach this decision;
- Disapproves of the rushed process in selecting a permanent President;
- Charges the sponsor of the bill and the Senate Public Affairs committee with sending this bill and attached letter to every member of the BOV.
Dear BOV member,
The Student Assembly understands your desire to appoint a President who will support and advance the best interests of the college. President Reveley has shown himself to be a caring and capable leader. However, as elected members of the student body it is our responsibility to inform you that students do not approve of the harried process by which you made this decision. You must take into account the views of many constituencies when making any decision. Students, however, were not a viable part of this process and have continued to feel ignored. The only evidence of student input you have provided is a closed-door meeting with five handpicked students. Moreover, some of the views and opinions of those student leaders you cite have been misrepresented.
We agree that the wounds of the College have not yet healed, but unfortunately your actions have only deepened them. Students have moved in a variety of different ways to attempt to achieve transparency, but it appears that we have failed. We strongly urge the Board of Visitors to institutionalize the transparency that you claim to value. We look forward to your response to the student community.
William and Mary Student Assembly
This Bill passed on September 23rd. As of yet, the letter has not been delivered to the BOV. If you see Valerie Hopkins, ask her to make sure this letter gets in the right hands (namely Michael Powell's). Also, be polite about it 'cause Val is really nice.
In further news, the BOV is V-ing right now. As they walked into Blow Memorial Hall yesterday to begin their meeting, they were met by a group of students representing SDS, Vox, and other campus organizations. The groups expressed their dismay at the lack of student voice, and Powell expressed his wish that a better means of communication with students be developed.
 | Those are some nice signs, guys |
 | Michael Powell and Taylor Reveley talk to A.B. |
For now, I think that's all the news that's fit to print. Keep staying involved and make sure you're staying angry about being silenced. Also, thanks to E.H. for three above the four above pictures.
--A
September 10, 2008 12:35PM
The Dog Street Journal has an awesome opinion piece about Taylor Reveley. You should definitely be reading it.
Much of the point that he brings up is that, while it is crucial for the College that we be moving forward, Reveley is a huge stand-still. The message we're being sent by both the BOV and Reveley right now is: "The times could get difficult, so instead of doing what we ought to be doing, we're just going to ignore things." Seriously. We're adults, guys. That's not how we deal with potentially difficult situations.
September 8, 2008 9:24AM
This is a very good staff editorial that was in Friday's Flat Hat. It expresses a lot of what I at least have been feeling about the Reveley-as-President situation, and was written before the BOV decision had even supposedly been made. I guess they can't say we the student body never spoke up, but maybe they just ignored it? Anyway, give it a read.
--M.E.
Reveley is now a permanent fixture
September 5, 2008 12:28
The Board of Visitors today concluded a special session to determine the leadership direction for the College. After careful consideration and with the benefit of input from the faculty, students, staff and alumni, the Board decided to eliminate Taylor Reveley’s interim designation and formally appoint him the 27th President of William and Mary for a term of 3 years.
This is a change in direction, but one we have concluded is in the very best interest of the College. Taylor has exceeded every expectation and has worked with vigor uncharacteristic of a mere caretaker. He has tackled enormous challenges, and while he did not seek the job permanently this time, he nonetheless earned the right to lead us and we are grateful he has accepted our invitation. Choosing a president without a national search is unusual and not done lightly, but the circumstances in this case are unique. For one, Taylor was fully vetted in the national search held just a few years ago and was a finalist for the office. Second, rarely does the Board or the College community have the benefit of working with someone for over half a year in the position before making a decision on his appointment. Finally, our community is still healing from the events of last spring and the critical challenges presently facing the college need immediate attention, strongly suggesting a search would not be a constructive or productive endeavor -- a view we found was widely held.
The College has been fortunate to have a strong leader in place during this very difficult transition period. Taylor stepped into a complicated situation and handled it with grace. With his deep knowledge of and experience with the community, he tirelessly reached out to faculty, students, staff, alumni, public officials, and major donors to assure them that he would advance the important priorities of the school. And, in a very short period, he has indeed advanced those priorities.
Taylor zeroed in immediately on the need to restructure our financial model, given the unreliability of state funds. He navigated the College through substantial budget cuts, making difficult decisions but keeping our priorities at the forefront.
Taylor stepped into the admissions process mid-stream when some parents, on the cusp of helping their children make final decisions, were concerned about sending their child to a school without a sitting president. His assurances about the direction of the school helped William and Mary attract a very strong and diverse incoming class of students.
In addition to handling pressing needs, Taylor has also begun laying a direction for the future. He has initiated a long overdue strategic planning process. He has also redirected development efforts toward improving annual giving, so that the College can meet its operating needs, and initiated the work necessary for a future campaign to strengthen the endowment. He is working on plans for upgrading communication to and relationships with the campus and alumni, realizing that they are critical to our future. All of these actions are essential to setting the vision and direction of the College.
Taylor has exhibited such extraordinary skill, warmth and commitment that we are confident this is the best path for W&M right now. We have pressing challenges that need immediate attention. Major additional state cuts are imminent, re-structuring will need to be re-negotiated with Richmond, and we must complete a strategic plan. With his leadership, we will aggressively tackle these challenges, build on the traditions of the school, and look forward with confidence to the future.
We wish to thank the numerous faculty, students, staff, administrators and alumni who we consulted over the past several weeks. Their input and support for President Reveley was heartening and indispensable.
Michael Powell
So there you have it. With one hell of a whimper, the presidential search is over. Taylor Reveley is in charge now--permanently. I suppose we'll do the best we can to deal with his regime etc, but I have to say I really don't know where to go from here. I suppose at this point we look to the leaders from February--SDS, Tribeunited and the rest. I'll update you guys as the condition changes. Try to enjoy your weekends.
With love,
--A
Want things to change? Here's a good chance
September 4, 2008 10:52
Earlier this week at the SA Senate meeting, President Valerie Hopkins announced that, rather than simply appoint a new Vice-President herself, she would be opening up the position to anybody interested. Here is her email from this morning to that effect. Please think about it!
At Tuesday's Student Assembly Senate meeting, Zach Pilchen admitted to using SA funds for personal purchases. He has since tendered his resignation. This incident has been a source of great disappointment and frustration for our community. Zach's resignation also means that the office of Vice President is currently vacant. The SA Constitution mandates that a new Vice President be appointed by the SA President within fourteen academic days.
As part of a continuing promise to empower all students, I have decided to search for the next VP through an application process open to the entire student body. I sincerely encourage all interested members of the student body to apply. I am searching for someone committed to serving students and enriching the College. The application is attached to this e-mail. Please send completed applications to vpsearch08@gmail.com by 5 p.m. on Friday, September 12th. Applications will be reviewed by a diverse committee of elected officers:
Charles Crimmins represents the Graduate Schools; Kevin Dua represents the Undergraduate Council; Walter McClean represents the Senate; and I represent the Executive. The committee will look for an excellent attitude, an ability to handle multiple tasks, and solid work ethic. Five to ten of the applicants will be invited to interview after every member of the committee has reviewed every application. When a candidate is chosen for the position, the committee will present a detailed report about its decision. Zach's actions were regrettable, but I hope you join me in realizing that a vacancy in the Vice Presidency presents a tremendous opportunity for you to have an active role in shaping the future of your school. Even if you choose not to apply, I welcome any input regarding what you feel would make an excellent Vice President.
Valerie Hopkins
Student Assembly President
APPLICATION FOR THE STUDENT ASSEMBLY VICE PRESIDENCY
- In addition to requiring an immense time commitment, being SA Vice President requires an ability to prioritize and to balance a number of ongoing tasks. Please briefly describe your list of past and present extra-curricular involvements and how you cope with having multiple pressing tasks simultaneously.
- What do you think is the role of the Student Assembly? More specifically, what do you think that the role of the Vice President is and how do your past experiences qualify you for it?
- What would be your first priority if you became Student Assembly vice president? If you could accomplish one thing during your tenure, what would it be?
- What community issues are you most passionate about?
- This is the first time in SA history that the Student Assembly VP has not been directly elected by a majority of the student body. What would be the hallmarks of you platform if you were running for this office?
- Have you ever missed half of your classes for a week to deal with an extra-curricular activity? Have you ever been woken up at 4am to deal with a crisis? Would you be ready to?
- How do you perceive the role of the VP in relation to the SA President?
- If you could choose W&M’s new mascot, what would you pick?
We think you should totally all do this.
--M.E.
I am Reveley, the Potions Master
September 3, 2008 8:34 PM
Some thoughts on Taylor Reveley....
It's hard to know where I want to begin on this front. Historically, Reveley was considered by the BOV for the presidency when Nichol was, and apparently made quite an impression on the BOV at that time. No surprise, then, when Reveley was the BOV's choice for the presidency after Nichol's resignation.
Does anyone else spot a problem, here, though? If the BOV intended to have Nichol finish his term at the end of the Spring 08 semester, then they must have intended to select a new president by Fall 08. This would require them to have begun a process to select a new president or to at least have an idea in mind of how that would work.
Presently, Reveley is acting as president with no end (i.e. an obvious search for a new candidate) in sight. What this demonstrates is that the BOV most likely had Reveley in mind even as they were not having the discussion to not renew Nichol. Now with Reveley being seriously considered as a permanent president, this is even more evident.
This is ridiculous. This is unethical. This is unacceptable.
In his e-mail (copied below), Powell said that he was still accepting feedback and that Reveley would be pres unless there was a public outcry. Well, we're the public. Let's outcry?
Write an email to Michael Powell and explain that what you want in a president is: over 6 feet tall, loves the First Amendment, actually a personable human being, a good public speaker, has cute cats (and dog), politically and socially progressive, and looks like a big teddy bear. Remember: if the new President is similar to Nichol, then the students and the BOV have bona fide. If the new president does not resemble Nichol, then the BOV's motives in non-renewing Nichol are once again suspect.
Get on the horn and do it now.
--A
And some Presidential news
September 3, 2008 5:15 PM
This email message from our good friend Michael Powell was sent about 20 minutes ago. In case some of you haven't seen it or ignored it (we understand), we decided to bring it to your attention. Note especially the end.
Dear Friends:
The academic year has begun and there is real excitement and enthusiasm. We have an exceptional freshman class and 25 percent of it are students of color--the most diverse class in our history. Earl Granger, associate provost for enrollment, and Henry Broaddus, dean of admission, are to be commended for their exceptional efforts. Additionally, the U.S News and World Report rankings were just released and the College has risen on the list from 33rd nationally to 32nd nationally. There is much to do, but there is a sense of good momentum. Much credit goes to Interim President Taylor Reveley, who has been extraordinary. He has worked tirelessly, reaching out broadly to the College community, and has tackled the very real challenges facing William and Mary. The Board is thrilled with his leadership and we should all be thankful he has stepped in.
Some of the challenges facing the College are quite serious, but we are attacking them aggressively. The financial picture remains worrisome. Huge budget shortfalls facing the state inevitably mean serious budget cuts--again--for William and Mary. This on top of deep cuts last year. In our judgment, the College must restructure its financial model to take our financial destiny into our own hands. Our ambitions are too great to be hostage to the state appropriations process. We will share more with you on this subject in coming months, but it will involve examining how to dramatically improve our annual giving, how to grow the endowment to a more substantial level, and what should be the right approach to tuition over the long run. We also are working with President Reveley and Provost Feiss on a new strategic plan for the College. It has been some time since the last plan and we are due. This will be an excellent opportunity for our entire community--faculty, students, staff and alums--to engage on setting the direction for the College
It is also important to share with you where we stand with regard to the presidency of the College. In February of last year we appointed Taylor Reveley as interim president and initially thought we would start a search immediately. Yet, after coming to campus last spring and meeting with the faculty, staff and students, it was clear our community was not yet ready to proceed and that serious challenges suggested an immediate search would be unproductive. As the academic year ended, the Board agreed and announced that we would take no action over the summer.
As the months passed, however, the work of the College did not stand still and President Reveley was faced with extraordinary challenges. He had to reach out and help the community heal and come together. He worked hard to bring our admissions process to a successful close, including attracting a diverse class. Taylor reached out to the higher education community to mitigate risk that our national ranking might suffer. Working with the Board he engineered an endowment effort for Gateway, finalized a major gift to fund an annual faculty award, and put in place an important sustainability effort. Having just stepped in as president, Taylor was immediately faced with a severe budget cut and had to handle some critical personnel issues, including the retirement of vice presidents Sam Sadler and Stewart Gamage. In our judgment, Taylor handled all of these challenges and more with extraordinary skill, good nature and hard work. The Board has been very impressed as have many others who have had a chance to work with him.
Steadily and increasingly, many board members, faculty, students, staff and alums began suggesting that one compelling option might be to retain President Reveley for a longer period and remove his interim status, particularly if there was a widespread belief that the time was not ripe for a search, or if our current and immediate challenges demanded strong, fully empowered leadership. The Board agrees that removing Taylor’s interim status might be a meritorious course, but only if it is widely supported by our community. We have been working hard for weeks now to reach out to faculty, students, staff, administrators and alumni to get input and gauge which path is preferred and in the best interest of the College. Clearly, there are many issues to consider. Nonetheless, we must resolve the question and keep the College moving forward.
The Board is planning to meet Friday, September 5 to discuss the options, consider the input that we have received and make a decision on how to proceed. I will communicate with you again once a decision is reached.
Thank you for your consideration and support of the College.
Michael K. Powell, Rector
For the Board of Visitors
We're not sure about you all, but we are certainly not okay with this, on which, more later.
We'll keep you posted!
-M.E.
Yes Pilchen Resigns
September 2nd, 7:36 PM
Ahh, fall semester. Familiar sounds fill the air all over our beloved campus: the nervous laughter of incoming freshman, the applause of convocation, the phrases, "How was your summer," "I resign from my position immediately," "I can't find my class."
Wait, hold on, what was that just then?
Yes, that's right: It's fall semester and there's a lot of big news.
At time of writing, it is 7:36. Roughly 30 minutes ago, Vice President of the Student Assembly Zach Pilchen resigned his position as a result of the release of the news that he used funds from the Student Assembly off-campus account (namely $138.51).
The obvious question now--well, one of them--is, of course, "Who will succeed The Pilch?" In the SA constitution, the duty of nomination falls to President Valerie Hopkins, to be ratified by the SA Senate. She has just announced, however, that she will open it up to application from the entire student body. The application will go out tomorrow. Valerie has 14 academic days to appoint one of the applicants. Those who were/are part of the investigation into Zach Pilchen's use of funds will not be eligible for VP as an issue of transparency.
Videos are coming soon of Zach's resignation, Valerie's response, and the response from the audience (which is to say, Senator Steven Nelson's response). Also, check back here later for more to come on Reveley and why he needs to stop and stop now.
For now, here's a gift for you (Aramark College is the Student Exchange (Sexchange)) :
| Date | Location | Amount in $ |
| 4/28 | Williamsburg cinema | 14.50 |
| 4/29 | Wawa | 19.29 |
| 4/30 | Wawa | 6.28 |
| 5/5 | Amc Hampton | 20.00 |
| 5/5 | Rite Aid | 3.06 |
| 5/6 | Wawa | 6.52 |
| 5/6 | Aramark college | 4.50 |
| 5/6 | Aramark college | 4.50 |
| 5/6 | Wawa | 3.36 |
| 5/7 | Mcdonalds | 8.18 |
| 5/7 | Wawa | 5.03 |
| 5/8 | Aramark college | 4.50 |
| 5/9 | Wawa | 8.89 |
| 5/12 | Golden Leaf | 12.16 |
| 5/12 | Regal New Town | 7.25 |
| 5/12 | Wawa | 7.16 |
| 5/12 | Wawa | 3.36 |
| Zach's resignation | |
| President Valerie Hopkins' Response | |
| Senator Nelson's Response | |
| Valerie wraps things up |
Starting it all over again, this time confusedly, --A
April 1st, 12:55 PM
Here's an article form the Flat Hat about Nichol's recent interview.