Organization

1.2 Organization

The University's administrative structure is reflected in the plan of organization.

In 1819 an act of the General Assembly of Virginia established the University as a public corporation with the name "The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia." The governing body of this corporation is styled the "Board of Visitors." The sixteen members of the Board of Visitors are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate and House of Delegates of Virginia for four-year terms. Thirteen must be from the commonwealth at large and eleven must be alumni or alumnae of the University; no more than three alumni/ae may live out of Commonwealth. The board may appoint a full-time student at the University as a nonvoting member of the board for a one-year term.

The duties and powers of the board are exercised in order to carry into effect the Statement of Institutional Purpose of the University. The major powers and duties of the board are as follows: to preserve the ideals and traditions of the University, especially to encourage and maintain the Honor System; to establish general educational policy; to establish any additional center, branch, college, or school and to present such action to the state government for its approval, if necessary; to authorize the creation or discontinuation of degrees; to elect a rector, vice rector, president, chief financial officer, secretary, and salaried members of the faculty (except those appointments vested in the president); to determine the salary ranges of all faculty ranks and the establishment of insurance, retirement programs, and other benefits of faculty ; to approve promotions of faculty members; to establish named chairs; to regulate and govern the discipline of students and the renting of rooms and dormitories; to approve general policy governing student scholarships and loans; to fix tuition charges and other fees; to issue revenue bonds to finance student facilities; to approve regulations for use of automobiles by students; to care for and preserve University property, including the sale or purchase of real estate; to grant easements and exercise the power of eminent domain; to approve the annual budget; and to formulate and revise long-range plans. Finally, on nomination from and concurrence of the president, the Board of Visitors elects the vice presidents of the University and the chancellor of the University of Virginia's College at Wise, all of whom are responsible directly to the president.

The President

The president is responsible to the Rector and Board of Visitors as the chief executive and academic officer of the University, is a member of the General Faculty and of the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences and each of the schools and serves as the president of the Faculty Senate; is responsible for operating the University in conformity with the purposes and policies determined by the Board of Visitors; acts as adviser to the board and recommends policies and programs, including educational programs and new degrees, that will best promote the interests of the University; determines the internal administrative structure of the University and appoints or provides for the appointment of all administrative officers, except the vice presidents and the chancellor of the University of Virginia's College at Wise, who are nominated to the board by the president. The president is authorized to suspend any faculty member at any time for proper cause, in accordance with appropriate procedure, after consultation with the dean, department head, and other affected administrative officers. A full list of the president's duties appears in the Manual of the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia.

Senior Administrative Officers

To accomplish the University's goals, the president has delegated authority to eleven senior administrative officers who have responsibility for administering the major functional areas.

Vice President and Provost: The Vice President and Provost of the University is the chief academic officer of the University. The provost is charged by the Board of Visitors and the president with overseeing education, research, and public service in the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, in each of the other schools of the University, in the University's libraries and museums, and in numerous other academically related units of the University. The budgets of these units flow through the Office of the Provost. The provost also has oversight responsibility for issues associated with the recruiting, hiring, retention, and performance of faculty and for the University's promotion and tenure process. In the University's organizational structure, offices associated with athletics, budget, development, health affairs, financial aid, student affairs, and technology report to the president through different vice presidents. Further information on the vice president and provost and a complete list of schools and units that report to the Provost can be viewed at http://www.virginia.edu/provost.

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer: The Office of the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer is charged by the Board of Visitors and president with overseeing the non-academic support areas of the University, including operations of the Health System, and supporting special initiatives that have a University-wide impact. The office is guided by the following principles: commitment to integrity and sound management practices, commitment to academic excellence, commitment to customers, including students, patients, and visitors, commitment to people, respecting and empowering them, holding them accountable, and rewarding them for performance, and commitment to simplification of processes and improvements in effectiveness and efficiency. More information can be found at the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer's Web site, http://www.virginia.edu/execvp.

Senior Vice President for University Development and Public Affairs: The Senior Vice President for University Development and Public Affairs supports the University's threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service by providing resources and services to development offices around the University Grounds, and by establishing policies and procedures. The Office of University Development offers regional fundraising, planned giving, information services, research, gift accounting, communications, and donor relations services. In cooperation with academic units and related foundations, the office also institutes policies for the conduct of development activities. Also under the auspices of the senior vice president is University Relations, which produces a variety of public relations activities, communications, and community relations initiatives for the University, designed to increase public understanding of programs in classrooms, research labs, and other public service activities. University Relations' functions include management of web-based electronic communications, liaison with print and television media, and communication within the University community. More information on the Senior Vice President for University Development and Public Affairs can be viewed at http://www.virginia.edu/vpdevelopment.

Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Center: The Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Center is responsible for the operation of U.Va.’s hospital and clinics, in addition to all financial and information technology functions. More information on the management of the University of Virginia Health System is accessible at http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/home.html.

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer: The Vice President and Chief Financial Officer is the chief business officer of the University, and is responsible for establishing and maintaining financial policies and infrastructure for all units and divisions of the University. The Vice President and Chief Financial Officer oversees key financial and business functions within the University, serving a wide range of customers. Among the officer's areas of responsibility are debt and credit management, managerial analysis and costing, financial performance measurements, and financial planning. The Vice President for Finance has administrative oversight of the University's affiliated foundations and the University's policy program. Further information on the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and a complete list of units that the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer manages can be viewed at http://www.virginia.edu/vpfinance.

Vice President and Chief Information Officer: The Vice President and Chief Information Officer is charged with facilitating the effective coordination of information technology-related activity across the Grounds and developing collaborations among U.Va.'s academic and administrative units that advance the University's missions. The CIO coordinates the University Committee on Information Technology and the Deans Technology Council, both of which help to guide institution-wide information technology projects and to establish strategic direction. Additional duties include working with the University community and its leaders to define a vision for the role of information technology at U.Va. and in higher education, as well as making specific proposals, and advocating for resources to realize that vision. The Vice President and Chief Information Officer reports to the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. A complete list of university functions that are overseen by the Vice President and Chief Information officer can be accessed at http://www.virginia.edu/vpcio.

Vice President and Chief Officer for Diversity and Equity: The Office of the Vice President and Chief Officer for Diversity and Equity assists and monitors all units of the University in their efforts to recruit and retain faculty, staff and students from historically underrepresented groups and to prove affirmative and supportive environments for work and life at the University of Virginia. For further information on the Vice President and Chief Officer for Diversity and Equity, visit http://www.virginia.edu/vpdiversity.

Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer: The Office of the Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer supports the University's primary purpose of enriching the minds and lives of its students. The division promotes the intellectual, cultural, personal, and social development of students while enhancing their physical and psychological well-being. Student affairs programs and services help students learn responsible decision-making; clarify personal values and identity; foster interpersonal relationships; facilitate career exploration; and promote the value of diversity, of informed citizenship, and of full membership of all students within the University community. The Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer oversees: the Office of the Dean of Students, the Office of Residence Life, the Office of African-American Affairs, University Career Services, the Department of Student Health, and WTJU. More Information on the Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer is available at http://www.virginia.edu/vpsa.

Vice President and Dean, School of Medicine: The Office of the Vice President and Dean of the School of Medicine is responsible for all operations of the medical school, graduate school of biomedical research, programs leading to Master of Science in Health Evaluation Sciences, and the Medical Center Library/Informatics. The vice president is a member of the President's Cabinet providing input on University-wide initiatives. Complete information on the Vice President and Dean of the School of Medicine is accessible at http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/about/dean.cfm.

Vice President for Management and Budget: The Vice President for Management and Budget oversees operations that fall under an array of University departments and programs, including budget, capital programs, facilities management, the Leadership Development Center, procurement, state governmental relations, and process simplification. More information and a complete list of initiatives and offices that report to the Vice President for Management and Budget is located at http://www.virginia.edu/vpmb.

Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies: The Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies manages five principal activities: research compliance, research enhancement, intellectual property management, graduate studies, and postdoctoral enhancement. In addition, the directors of five interdisciplinary research institutes and programs report to the VPRGS: Morphogenesis and Regenerative Medicine, Nano and Quantum Science and Engineering, Programs in Computer and Information Science and Engineering, Healthy Aging, and Environment, Conservation, and Culture. VPRGS also coordinates the various University units that comprise the research infrastructure, including the acquisition of research funding, the planning and development of academic research space, research commercialization, the incubation of new companies and recruiting of corporate research partners to local research parks, and public outreach. More information on the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies is located at http://www.virginia.edu/vprgs.

In addition to these vice presidents, two other senior officers, the general counsel and the athletic director, report to the president and serve as members of the president's senior cabinet. The general counsel is the University's chief legal officer and is responsible for providing advice on all legal matters affecting the University under the direction of the attorney general, the Board of Visitors, and the president. The athletic director is responsible for supervision of all University intercollegiate athletic and intramural programs and facilities.

Other officers who report directly to the president include the chancellor of the University of Virginia's College at Wise, the director of the Audit Department, the editor of the Virginia Quarterly Review, the director of Equal Opportunity Programs, executive assistants for State Governmental Relations, the executive assistant for Federal Relations, the director of the White Burkett Miller Center for Public Affairs, and the secretary of the Board of Visitors who, like the general counsel, is an officer of the Board of Visitors.

Divisions

The president and vice president manage a diverse enterprise that is organized for budgeting purposes into three operating divisions. The central functions of instruction, research and public service are conducted by the Academic Division. Health care services are provided by the Health System. University of Virginia's College at Wise is the third division.

Academic Division

Teaching and research are conducted by faculty members organized into schools and departments. Approximately 2,000 full-time faculty members teach in programs leading to bachelor's, master's, doctoral and first professional degrees. The ten schools of the University are as follows:

College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

School of Architecture

McIntire School of Commerce

School of Continuing and Professional Studies

Curry School of Education

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Darden School of Business

School of Law

School of Medicine

School of Nursing

Summer and Special Academic Programs is an extension of the regular academic year with course offerings to meet the academic needs of resident, degree students, as well as non-degree seeking students who are enrolled in courses for their professional development. Summer and Special Academic Programs is a separate administrative unit with its own director who works directly with departments and schools in selecting the courses offered and faculty employed during the summer. Each summer the University of Virginia offers a rich selection of courses to over four-thousand students.

The University is host to several academic organizations with statewide, regional or national affiliations. These include the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, the University of Virginia Press, and the Virginia Graduate Marine Sciences Consortium, which administers the state's Sea Grant Program. Other members of the Consortium are the Virginia Institute of Marine Science of the College of William and Mary, Virginia Tech, and Old Dominion University.

Several other federal and state centers of professional activity are located in the University community. They include the state's Division of Forestry, the Division of Mineral Resources, the Virginia Highway and Transportation Research Council, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and the Federal Executive Institute. The U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's School teaches military law to lawyers in the armed forces.

Health System

Comprehensive health care services are provided by the University of Virginia Health System, which consists of University of Virginia Medical Center, the School of Medicine, and the Health Services Foundation, and which operates more than forty clinics at numerous sites within and distant from the main precinct of the Medical Center. Satellite clinics include those at Northridge, Stoney Creek, and Orange. The Medical Center (originally called University Hospital) was established in 1901, to complement the teaching and research activities of the School of Medicine and to provide hospital and related services to a broad region.

University of Virginia's College at Wise

This four-year, undergraduate college was opened in 1954, initially as a two-year branch of the University. It functions to some extent as an independent institution, although its chancellor reports to the president of the University of Virginia and its Board of Visitors. The University of Virginia's College at Wise was established in the southwestern part of the state to serve an area that has limited access to higher education. It currently enrolls more than 1,800 students.