Syd Dorsey Luncheon - June 2004
Photos from this Event

Sponsored by University of Virginia's Women in Leadership & Philanthropy (WLP) initiative, Syd Dorsey (Arch. '82, Darden '87), one of three women currently serving on U.Va.'s Board of Visitors, was the guest speaker at a luncheon in Richmond, Va. on June 24. Along with her appointment to the University of Virginia Board of Visitors, Dorsey has served on the Alumni Association’s Board of Managers, as a member of the Richmond Club, as a director of the Walter N. Ridley Scholarship Fund, and has served on the selection committees for the Jefferson Scholars and Jerome Holland Scholarships. Dorsey spoke about her service on the Board of Visitors and some of the issues facing the University this year.

Attendees
Cynthia Colyer Allen (Nursing '75)
Jennie M. Barrett (A&S '98)
Shannon Carter (Commerce '81)
Dorline Davidson-Harvey (Education '78)
Sharon Davie (Director of the Women's Center; GSAS '69, GSAS '72)
Robyn Beck Dietter (Graduate Intern, Women in Leadership & Philanthropy)
Leigh Dobbins (A&S '82)
Syd Dorsey (Arch. '82; Darden '87)
Palmer Peebles Garson (Darden '83)
Sarah Johnson Hallock (A&S '89)
Marsha Hanzel (A&S '72)
Heather Hays (A&S '97)
Rebecca Horner (A&S '92; Grad. Educ. '95)
Loree Jarrell (A&S '00; Associate Director of Clubs, UVa Alumni Association)
Janet King (Director, Prospect Development)
Penelope Ward Kyle (Law '79)
Melinda Lewis (Law '99)
Suzanne McCusty (Darden '83)
Jennifer McEnery (Darden '00)
Nancy P. McIntyre (Director of Annual Giving, College of Arts & Sciences)
Patty Merrill (A&S '87; Law '92)
Ginger Moran (Associate Director, Women's Center)
Leslie Parpart (A&S '95; Grad. Educ. '95)
Kate Fleming Parthemos (A&S '75)
Anne Peterson (A&S '91)
Elizabeth Roark (A&S '89; GSAS '93)
Elizabeth Withers Robertson (Commerce '75)
Carrie Patterson Smith (Commerce '93)
Nancy Conway Smith (Nursing '53)
Kari L. Teagno (A&S '03)
Linda Schuchman Thomas (A&S '76)
Maureen Wangensteen (A&S '89; Director of the Annual Fund, Darden School Foundation)
Gay Whitlock (Grad. Educ. '76)
Jennifer Wood (Grad. Educ. '98; Assistant Director of Development, College of Arts & Sciences)
Jennifer Wyss-Jones (Special Asst. to the Sr. VP for Development & Public Affairs)

Do Something Grand
Good afternoon, alumnae! I am pleased to be among you this afternoon, in support of the Women in Leadership & Philanthropy initiative of the University. It is an initiative I believe is very important for the future of U.Va.

When Jenny asked if I would speak at this event, I agreed to do so thinking there was a robust agenda and that I would augment that by making a few remarks. Sometime after committing, I realized that I WAS the agenda!!! I find this a bit intimidating as I don't consider myself a great speaker and then pondered which would be worse--for no one to show up, which would make speaking easier, but perhaps hurt my pride a bit and certainly not benefit the WLP cause; or for lots of you to attend putting the pressure on me to say something meaningful!!! I think the reality is the latter. Therefore, my mission today is to inspire you to take on something GRAND.

In preparation, I scoured the WLP web site for ideas and thoughts from past gatherings. I looked at my fellow BOV member Georgia Willis's remarks when she spoke to the WLP group in New York City last February. Georgia was very meticulous about facts and details about the University, so I thought that might be a good starting point. Then, I thought, that really isn't my style, and I figure my style got me where I am today so you're about to get the Syd-version of remarks. Fortunately, I have eaten at Fleming's before and knew that the food would be great so you couldn't be too disappointed.

I am going to speak about my role on the Board of Visitors, my view of some of the challenges facing the U.Va. community today, and the part you all can and do play in the future of not just the University, but on mankind (and womankind) as a whole.

I do know a number of you, but maybe you're asking yourself, "How did she get where she is?"

How I got here (BOV). Good Question! I had to ask that question too!

I was appointed by Governor Warner in March of 2003 to a four-year term on the BOV, one of sixteen members of that body.

I am honored and pleased to serve on the BOV. But, let me tell you the reaction I received from people I know upon my appointment:

A-School-- due to being an Architecture major
Alumni Association members--due to my time on Board of Managers
African American alumni--due to my time on Ridley Board
Faculty/Staff--due to my involvement with Admissions and Scholarships
Students--due to my involvement with Jefferson & Holland selection committees
Local alumni chapter--due to my time on the Richmond Club Board
Women--as one of few on the Board

All were really glad to hear of my appointment as they would have someone on the BOV that they felt represented them--a daunting responsibility to say the least! And what it told me was that all of those groups felt as though they did not have adequate or perhaps any representation prior to my appointment--an unfortunate message, but not surprising considering the many comments that have been made in the various WLP sessions that have been held.

So, what do I bring to the table?

In my gubernatorial interview with Mark Warner when being considered for the BOV, I bluntly stated that he knew I wasn't rich. And in case he thought I was, based on my Darden degree, I advised him that I wasn't a finance guru. So, there must be some other reason he would consider my being on the Board. I am not entirely certain of his reasons, but suspect that it is because my dealings with him in the past have been around issues relating to education of the masses--from children in public housing to his organization linking of high-tech companies with Virginia's Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He recognizes my passion about the betterment of mankind via some instruments without a great deal of notoriety. I also would suspect that he felt that I was more the "face" of the current U.Va.--fairly young (by BOV standards), female, and a minority. And, to add to my perspective as a U.Va. alum, I received an undergraduate degree from U.Va. as well as a graduate degree (many BOV members only have graduate degrees from U.Va.--some have no U.Va. degree at all). Additionally, I was an out-of-state student both times I attended the University. In my mind, this gives me a very different perspective on the University and its activities.

So, perhaps it seems I was just the person for the job?!? Regardless of reason, here I am. And, it is a responsibility I do not take lightly.

Early in my tenure on the BOV, I was very deliberate about the Board Committees on which I wanted to serve. I chose:

Buildings and Grounds--due to my undergraduate degree in Architecture
Educational Policy--my parents both were educators and despite Saturday afternoons in the Fall, I believe that educational institutions should be primarily about education!
Student Affairs and Athletics--as the students really are the reason I'm doing this.

And, I purposely declined to be a member of the Diversity Committee (obvious) and also the External Affairs Committee, which would have been expected as I was a member of the Alumni Association Board of Managers just prior to my appointment.

I feel the major issues facing the Board today include the following--many are the same you read in the Times-Dispatch or U.Va. Headline News online.

1. Maintaining our ranking as the #1 public University in the country (tied with Cal-Berkeley).
2. Increasing our status as a major research institution (currently ahead of Virginia Tech, but still not in the top 25 nationally).
3. Moving forward along with Virginia Tech and William & Mary, with the charter to lessen the state strictures on operations at the three institutions.
4. Addressing student unrest related to diversity and otherwise and its effect on the overall institution.
5. Faculty hiring to better reflect the demographics at the University today.
6. Providing financing alternatives to promote an economically diverse student body [Access U.Va.--announced in February 2004--provides full financing for families within 150% of the poverty level--$28,000/year income. Then grants replace loans for the remainder of students on financial aid (about 25% of the student body) so that no student will leave as an undergraduate with more than $13500 in loans. An additional benefit of this type of financing is the hope that the numbers of economically disadvantaged students will increase for graduate programs. Now many of those students opt not to pursue graduate degrees because they feel they need to work off existing loans].
7. Ensuring that tuition levels are appropriate and in-line with our operational requirements
8. Addressing student housing issues, both on and off grounds (beginning in 2005, University housing will be guaranteed for the 2nd year for anyone that wants it. And, a student-run Student Housing office has been established to assist in dealing with landlords pressuring students to sign leases as early as October of their 1st year, among other things).
9. And, of course, the recently announced $3 billion Capital Campaign that will run through 2011.

I figure you'll have more specific questions related to the University, so I'll be happy to try to address them at the end of my remarks.

Now, on to how we as women all can play a part in the University's future.

Earlier in my comments, I made reference to all of the constituency groups that feel I represent them. And, I concluded that each of those groups felt they had inadequate representation. I know that all of you are connected to the University in some way beyond just your degrees. Consider which of those groups, and to what others, you belong. I ask each of you to ask yourselves how we can collectively have greater influence and expand this net.

People have characterized me as a person who makes things happen--gets things done. I strive to have the things that I do make an IMPACT. And, impact is something with which I charge every student I interview, every colleague I encounter. I believe in change agents, that involvement means making a difference. If there were not those before us who felt the same way, the University possibly could look the way that it did 35 years ago--in a time when it was NOT the #1 public institution in the country.

If there was a reason for giving you a background on myself, it was to illustrate that I am not any different from most of you, or from the average graduate of the University. I am not rich; I am not a rocket scientist.

So I ask each of you three things:

1. Determine what you have to give
2. Ask what impact you can make
3. Decide who else to include in your efforts

On Giving, consider the three Ts--Time, Talent, and Treasure; or the three Ws--Work, Wisdom, and Wealth. Figure out which of these you have that can gain the greatest influence. Think about the areas about which you are the most passionate. Previous feedback from WLP sessions have found that women give for different reasons than men. We consider need to a greater extent. Channel your giving to the areas you feel have the greatest need, however you define that.

On Impact, challenge yourself to leave a mark that improves the institution and the world around it. What would you like to see changed for the better? Align your efforts to make an impact towards that end.

On Inclusion, look at your own network of friends and colleagues. Which of them has one of the "Ts" or one of the "Ws" and a passion about making difference? Do they feel they are "connected" to the University in a meaningful way? Start a collective effort of involvement or make a collective gift for a particular cause.

I'll leave you with this thought: Even though I'm not really a Grand person, my appointment to the BOV affords me a special avenue to do something Grand for the University and all connected to it. Pick a cause about which you are passionate, grab some friends, seek an avenue, and do something Grand in this world.

Thank you.