Collegiate Times

At its last meeting of the year, the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors approved a new nuclear engineering program, discussed university expansion and passed a resolution regarding Blacksburg water Monday, among other things. 

The program is significant because nuclear energy is seen as a possible green solution to problems the world is facing, including global warming and its carbon footprint, said Larry Hincker, university spokesman.  

If the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia approves the program, Tech will offer master's and doctorate degrees in nuclear engineering in spring 2013.

The doctorate program will be the first of its kind in Virginia.

“We believe that this will sail through because there is a lot of demand for this,” Hincker said. “This is partially a reflection of what is happening in the industry.”

The Financial and Audit Committee gave its annual report on the student financial aid program at the university. According to the report, financial aid given has increased by about $50 million since FY 08-09.

About $342.2 million was given in financial aid in 2008-09. In FY 10-11, that figure increased to $390 million.

The university also saw an increase in aid from grants, scholarships and waivers by $40 million between the two fiscal periods.

The BOV also discussed expanding the amount of students at Tech, a move that would bring in additional revenue for the university, but also stretch its capacity.

“There has been this big question of should the university grow and should they bring more students in,” said Michelle McLeese, a graduate representative to the BOV and a doctorate student.

McLeese said the graduate student community would like to expand and bring in more students.

“We want more graduate peers, and we want to have a bigger community,” McLeese said. “We’re interested in manifesting graduate culture more throughout the university.”

Matthew Banfield, a theater arts major and undergraduate representative to the BOV disagreed, saying overcrowding in classrooms is a problem.

Banfield also said academic advising is a common issue among students. And it will be more difficult for students to find time to meet with advisors if the university expands.

“It’s a two way street with the advisor’s responsibilities to the students and the students' responsibility to reach out to their advisors,” Banfield said. “There are a lot of good resources on campus already, but they just need some marketing attention to make the students realize that the resources are there.”

Although academic advising has been brought to the BOV’s attention in past sessions, changes in advising policy do not require its approval.

While one degree program is on the path to incorporation, another has been discontinued.

The BOV voted to cut the information security assurance program, which was created in 2010 for the National Capital Region. 

The BOV decided to discontinue the program and support a similar one that is already offered at George Mason University.

The BOV also discussed how local Blacksburg residents obtain water.

It passed a resolution concerning Montgomery County's admission to the Blacksburg Christiansburg-VPI Water Authority, which supplies water to the three localities.

Hincker said residents in Blacksburg and Christiansburg receive their water from the Water Authority, while those living in other areas of Montgomery County primarily rely on well water.

Some raised concerns about the wells becoming contaminated by septic fields, as more areas in the county are developed.

“When you start getting into dense developments, you want to have water coming from a centralized system rather than well water,” Hincker said. “It will allow them to have more managed, control growth in the county.”

A version of this article appeared in the Nov 8 issue of the Collegiate Times.