By Harry Minium
³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ's Board of Visitors voted unanimously Thursday to approve the $528.1 million budget for the 2019-2020 school year.
³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ's budget is a modest 3.4 percent larger than the $510.7 million budgeted in 2018-19, said Deborah L. Swiecinski, an associate vice president in ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ's budget office.
Earlier this year, ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ froze tuition for in-state for undergraduate students. ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ remains the most affordable of the Commonwealth's doctoral universities - including Virginia, Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth, William & Mary and George Mason.
The budget includes $6.5 million for salary increases for ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ employees and $1.4 million in additional scholarship aid for economically disadvantaged students.
It also includes $3.6 million from the state to help ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ attract and graduate more students in STEM-H: sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics and health sciences.
³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ was awarded $370,000 in state money to establish the Virginia Institute for Spaceflight Autonomy.
The budget approved ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ's entry into the new Biomedical Research Consortium along with Eastern Virginia Medical School, the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, the University of Virginia and a non-profit hospital.
The board also approved naming ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ's Board of Real Estate program after Harvey L. Lindsay Jr., whose Norfolk-based Harvey Lindsay Real Estate was founded by and named for his father.
Lindsay has been a generous donor to ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ and other community organizations. He established the Harvey L. Lindsay Jr. Real Estate Scholarship and has endowed other academic and athletic scholarships.
After the meeting, board members took a tour of Kornblau Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium, which is undergoing a $67.5 million renovation. The football stadium will host its first game Aug. 31 when the Monarchs play Norfolk State.
Rector Lisa B. Smith said ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ's fans will appreciate all the improvements at the new Ballard Stadium as well as its updated amenities.
"It's an absolutely amazing facility," she said.
³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ also added three new members to the board. For more information, click here.
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