Guerrant leads U.Va. effort for better worldwide health

Points of view

Stephanie Gross

Well-known feminist Gloria Steinem, center, who visited U.Va. for a Sept. 19 panel discussion on the history and future of feminism, chatted with students and other guests afterward. The event which also included two younger feminist authors was sponsored by the Women¹s Center, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a series of talks on women and leadership this fall that will culminate with a conference on Nov. 2. See story, Steinem: older and younger feminists ned more dialogue.

Casteen discusses College, role of new A&S dean

By Rebecca Arrington

John T. Casteen III

The condition of the College of Arts & Sciences is "excellent," but it's also U.Va.'s current "need center" for fund-raising, President John T. Casteen III told Arts & Sciences faculty members at a Sept. 20 meeting he called to discuss issues related to the search for a new Arts & Sciences dean.

At the well-attended meeting, which more than half-filled McLeod Hall Auditorium, Casteen told the faculty that a search committee of eight to 12 members would be named within the next two weeks, and that it would be made up of faculty, students and possibly a Board of Visitors member. Vice President and Provost Peter W. Low said he hopes to have the new dean in place by July, when historian Melvyn Leffler steps down as dean to prepare for a visiting professorship at Oxford.

The current state of Arts & Sciences is " the best I've ever seen it," Casteen said. "I think the way Mel approached his role as dean was the right one." Full story.

Board previews arts precinct

By Rebecca Arrington

The conceptual plan for U.Va.'s arts precinct was the main agenda item at the Board of Visitors' Buildings and Grounds Committee meeting Sept. 20. Board members and others crowded around an architectural model of the precinct to see how one of the University's most ambitious undertakings might eventually look.

The proposed arts precinct addresses current space and programmatic deficiencies for studio art and art history, the performing arts, including music and drama, the Bayly Museum, the Architecture School, and their combined library needs.

At the start of the meeting, Colette Sheehy, vice president for management and budget, reminded board members that this was just a conceptual plan, which precedes the University's architectural review stages that require state funding approval. Committee chair James C. Wheat III also warned the board that the new arts precinct might need to stray architecturally from the buildings typically seen on Grounds. Full story.