VCU board may shift some hiring decisions to president

Virginia Commonwealth University's governing board is considering a change in its bylaws that would let the new president sign off on most hiring and compensation decisions -- unless they're politically sensitive or involve large bonuses.

The proposed change taken up by the board of visitors executive committee last week is an effort to streamline the process, said university Rector Anne G. "Panny" Rhodes.

Under the draft discussed by the committee, VCU President Michael Rao would be required to consult the board for bonuses in excess of $100,000. The president also would have to consult the board before approving any position or compensation plan that could be viewed as "politically sensitive in nature or is or may be likely to generate public and/or media interest."

The committee discussed part of the policy in closed session because it related to specific personnel.

Recent hirings by universities highlight the concern over media and public scrutiny.

Old Dominion University broke ties with Del. Phillip A. Hamilton, R-Newport News, in August after disclosures that he had pursued a job there before he put in a $500,000 budget amendment for creation of a teaching center.

Hamilton, vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, had been paid $40,000 a year as an independent contractor for the center since it opened in 2007. A federal grand jury and a House ethics panel are investigating the arrangement, first disclosed by The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk and the Daily Press of Newport News.

State Sen. Thomas K. Norment Jr., R-James City, receives $160,000 from the College of William and Mary for his work as a professor of law and government as well as a legal adviser.

The Virginian-Pilot reported that the state attorney general had warned Norment against giving legal guidance to the college. But a W&M spokesman said Friday that Norment's role "is within the parameters established by the opinion by the attorney general."

VCU has a high-profile professor as well: L. Douglas Wilder, a former Virginia governor and a former Richmond mayor. He earns $150,000 for teaching one class per semester, in addition to working on development opportunities and overseeing a lecture series.

Wilder's salary was especially sensitive -- he received a raise in January after leaving the mayor's office while other faculty salaries were frozen because of state budget cuts. He had received a part-time salary of $50,000 from VCU while he was mayor.

The board has said Wilder's compensation as a full-time employee was approved in May 2008, when he decided not to seek re-election but before the extent of the state's budget crisis became evident.

Rhodes, VCU's rector, said current bylaws result in the board being presented "reams and reams and reams" of documentation on hiring and compensation.

The board is attempting to find "a balance of what we delegate and what we retain" to reduce the excessive amount of paper that makes it difficult to focus on cases that deserve more attention, she said.

VCU spokeswoman Pam Lepley said the university has only one state legislator on its payroll.

Del. William R. Janis, R-Henrico, is an adjunct faculty member in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, where he teaches a political science class on lobbying. Janis is being paid $2,550 for the fall semester.

W&M also pays Janis $2,000 per semester for teaching a course on the legislative process.

Lepley said VCU paid one bonus exceeding $100,000 in fiscal 2008. For 2009, the only one has been the $275,000 signing bonus from private funds paid to Michael Rao when he became president in July.

Contact Karin Kapsidelis at (804) 649-6119 or .