THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 14, 1994 TAG: 9407140667
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Short : 35 lines
Ten universities, including Old Dominion University, have submitted ``decentralization'' proposals to the state, seeking to bypass some Virginia regulations and reduce state oversight of their fiscal operations.
The plans, which must be approved by state Finance Secretary Paul Timmreck, were outlined Tuesday at a meeting of the State Council of Higher Education.
The schools are asking, for instance, to be allowed to issue checks to vendors and employees - instead of waiting for Richmond to do it - and to determine salaries without state approval. The goal is to reduce the state's expenses and speed the hiring of employees and bidding contracts.
The General Assembly, at its session earlier this year, approved setting up pilot projects in decentralization for at least five colleges. Legislators guaranteed a place for three of the state's most influential schools - the College of William and Mary, the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech.
The other schools that submitted proposals, in addition to ODU, were George Mason, Virginia Commonwealth, James Madison, Mary Washington, Radford and Virginia Military Institute.
Norfolk State University officials said this week that they, too, submitted a plan. State officials said they hadn't received NSU's proposal by the July 1 deadline, but that it would be considered.
KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY VIRGINIA STATE COUNCIL OF HIGHER EDUCATION
by CNB