Virginia Law

Article 1. General Provisions.

A. The board of visitors of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (the board) is a corporation under the name and style of "Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University" and has, in addition to its other powers, all the corporate powers given to corporations by the provisions of Title 13.1 except those powers that are confined to corporations created pursuant to Title 13.1. The board shall at all times be under the control of the General Assembly.

B. The institution shall be known as Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (the University).

C. All laws relating to Virginia Polytechnic Institute, its predecessors, its board of visitors, or the board of visitors of each of its predecessors shall be construed as relating to the University.

Code 1919, § 860, § 23-114; 1944, p. 341; 1970, c. 98; 2016, c. 588.

A. The board shall consist of 14 members, of whom 13 shall be appointed by the Governor and one shall be the president of the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services, who shall serve ex officio. Of the 13 members appointed by the Governor, at least 10 members shall be residents of the Commonwealth and at least six members shall be alumni of the University. All appointments by the Governor are subject to confirmation by the Senate.

B. The alumni association of the University may submit to the Governor a list of three nominees for each vacancy on the board, whether it occurs by expired term or otherwise. The Governor may appoint a member from the list of nominees.

Code 1919, § 859, §§ 23-115, 23-116; 1930, p. 739; 1944, p. 344; 1945, p. 55; 1964, c. 48; 1970, c. 98; 1980, c. 559; 2016, c. 588.

A. The board shall meet in Blacksburg, in the County of Montgomery, at least once a year and at such other times and places as it determines. Special meetings of the board may be called by the Governor, the rector, or any three members. Notice of the time and place of each meeting shall be provided to each member.

B. A majority of the board shall constitute a quorum. A majority of each committee shall constitute a quorum.

C. The board shall appoint from its membership a rector to preside at its meetings and a president pro tempore to preside at its meetings in the absence of the rector.

D. The board shall appoint a secretary.

E. The board shall also appoint from its membership an executive committee of at least three but not more than six members that are empowered during the interim between board meetings to exercise such powers of the board as the board may prescribe by resolution.

F. The board may appoint special committees and prescribe their duties and powers.

G. Each committee shall report its actions to the board at the board's annual meeting and at such other times as the board may require.

Code 1919, §§ 861, 863, §§ 23-118, 23-119, 23-121; 1945, pp. 74, 75; 1970, c. 98; 2016, c. 588.

A. The board is charged with the care, preservation, and improvement of the property belonging to the University and with the protection and safety of students and other persons residing on such property. Pursuant to such duties, the board may change roads or driveways on the property belonging to the University or entrances to such property, close temporarily or permanently the roads and driveways on such property and entrances to such property, prohibit undesirable and disorderly persons from entering such property, eject such persons from such property, and prosecute under state law trespassers and persons committing offenses on such property.

B. The board shall regulate the government and discipline of the students.

Code 1919, § 864, § 23-122; 1924, p. 143; 1970, c. 98; 2016, c. 588.

A. As used in this section:

"Derivative" means a contract or financial instrument or a combination of contracts and financial instruments, including any contract commonly known as a "swap," that gives the University the right or obligation to deliver, receive delivery of, or make or receive payments based on changes in the price, value, yield, or other characteristic of a tangible or intangible asset or group of assets or changes in a rate, index of prices or rates, or other market indicator for an asset or group of assets.

"Financial security" means (i) any note, stock, treasury stock, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest, collateral-trust certificate, preorganization certificate of subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, or fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights; (ii) any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security, certificate of deposit, or group or index of securities, including any interest therein or based on the value thereof; (iii) any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency; (iv) in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a "security"; or (v) any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim security for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase any financial security.

"Option" means an agreement or contract whereby the University may grant or receive the right to purchase, sell, or pay or receive the value of any personal property asset, including any agreement or contract that relates to any security, contract, or agreement.

B. The board shall invest and manage the endowment funds, endowment income, gifts, all other nongeneral fund reserves and balances, and local funds of or held by the University in accordance with this section and the provisions of the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (§ 64.2-1100 et seq.).

C. No member of the board is personally liable for losses suffered by any endowment fund, endowment income, gift, other nongeneral fund reserve and balance, or local funds of or held by the University arising from investments made pursuant to the provisions of subsection B.

D. The investment and management of endowment funds, endowment income, gifts, all other nongeneral fund reserves and balances, or local funds of or held by the University are not subject to the provisions of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (§ 2.2-4300 et seq.).

E. In addition to the investment practices authorized by the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (§ 64.2-1100 et seq.), the board may invest or reinvest the endowment funds, endowment income, gifts, all other nongeneral fund reserves and balances, and local funds of or held by the University in derivatives, options, and financial securities.

F. The authority provided in this section to invest and reinvest nongeneral fund reserves and balances of or held by the University is predicated upon an approved management agreement between the University and the Commonwealth.

2009, cc. 737, 767, § 23-122.1; 2016, c. 588.

A. The board shall appoint a treasurer of the University. The treasurer or the officer who controls the funds of the University shall give bond in the sum of $50,000, payable to the Commonwealth, with condition for the faithful discharge of the duties of his office. The bond shall be approved by the board, entered on the board's journal, and transmitted to the Comptroller and shall remain filed in the Comptroller's office.

B. The board may appoint a vice-president of the University and prescribe his authority, duties, and compensation, if any. The vice-president shall hold office at the pleasure of the board.

C. The board may employ a secretary of the University, a clerk to the board, and such other agents, servants, officers, assistants, and deputies as may be necessary to conduct the business and affairs of the University.

D. The board may remove any officer of the University with the assent of two-thirds of its members, subject to such human resources programs as may be established by the board pursuant to § 23.1-1021.

E. The board shall prescribe the duties of professors and the course and mode of instruction. The board may remove any professor with the assent of two-thirds of its members.

Code 1919, §§ 864, 866, §§ 23-124, 23-125, 23-126, 23-127; 1924, p. 144; 1970, c. 98; 2016, c. 588.

The curriculum of the University shall embrace such courses of study as relate to agriculture and the mechanic arts without excluding other scientific and classical studies and military tactics.

Code 1919, § 856, § 23-130; 1970, c. 98; 2016, c. 588.

A. For purposes of this section:

"Other party" means any other entity, including any (i) municipality, public institution of higher education, or political subdivision, public authority, agency, or instrumentality of the Commonwealth, another state, or the United States or (ii) partnership, limited liability company, nonprofit corporation, electric cooperative, or investor-owned utility, whether created, incorporated, or otherwise organized and existing under the laws of the Commonwealth, another state, or the United States.

"Project" means any (i) system or facilities for the generation, transmission, transformation, or supply of electrical power and energy by any means whatsoever, including fuel, fuel transportation, and fuel supply resources; (ii) electric generating unit situated at a particular site in the continental United States; (iii) interest in such system, facilities, or unit, whether an undivided interest as a tenant in common or otherwise; or (iv) right to the output, capacity, or services of such system, facilities, or unit.

B. The University may contract with any other party to buy power and energy to meet its present or future requirements. Any such contract may provide that (i) the source of such power and energy is limited to a specified project; (ii) replacement power and energy shall be provided; or (iii) the University shall be obligated to make payments required by the contract whether the project is completed, operable, or operating and notwithstanding the suspension, interruption, interference, reduction, or curtailment of the output of a project or the amount of power and energy contracted for; (iv) payments required by the contract (a) are not subject to any reduction, whether by offset or otherwise, (b) are not conditioned upon the performance or nonperformance of any other party, (c) shall be made solely from the revenues derived by the University from the ownership and operation of the electric system of the University, (d) may be secured by a pledge of and lien upon the electric system of the University, and (e) shall constitute an operating expense of the electric system of the University; (v) in the event of default by the University or any other party to the contract in the performance of its obligations for any project, the University or any other party to the contract for such project shall succeed to the rights and interests and assume the obligations of the defaulting party, either pro rata or as may be otherwise agreed upon in the contract; or (vi) no other party shall be obligated to provide power and energy in the event that (a) the project is inoperable, (b) the output of the project is subject to suspension, interference, reduction, or curtailment, or (c) a force majeure occurs.

C. Notwithstanding any other charter or provision of law to the contrary, no such contract, with respect to the sale or purchase of capacity, output, power, or energy from a project, shall exceed 50 years from the date that the project is estimated to be placed in normal continuous operation.

D. The execution and effectiveness of any such contract are not subject to any authorizations and approvals by the Commonwealth or any agency, commission, instrumentality, or political subdivision of the Commonwealth except as specifically required by law.

E. No obligation under any such contract shall constitute a legal or equitable pledge, charge, lien, or encumbrance upon any property of the University or upon any of its income, receipts, or revenues, except the revenues of its electric system, and the faith and credit of the University shall not be pledged for the payment of any obligation under any such contract.

F. The University shall fix, charge, and collect rents, rates, fees, and charges for electric power and energy and other services, facilities, and commodities sold, furnished, or supplied through its electric system sufficient to provide revenues adequate to meet its obligations under any such contract and to pay any and all other amounts payable from or constituting a charge and lien upon such revenues, including amounts sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on bonds of the University issued for purposes relating to its electric system. Any pledge made by the University pursuant to this subsection is governed by the laws of the Commonwealth.

2007, cc. 612, 670, § 23-155.05; 2016, c. 588; 2017, c. 314.