Two more Virginia schools yesterday turned to midyear tuition increases in an effort to plug ever-widening holes in their budgets. The College of William and Mary’s board of visitors approved a $300 tuition increase for the spring semester, which will generate $1.9 million to help offset the fourth round of state budget cuts in three years.

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia has accepted remediation plans by Richard Bland College and the University of Virginia’s College at Wise intended to bring the schools into compliance with certification standards.

“A friend asked to nominate me and we really just wanted to see if I’d be put on the ballot or not,“ Vasold recalled. “I didn’t hear anything about the nomination,“ said the third-year student, who is homecoming queen for the Class of 2011. “And when the link went out for us to vote, I clicked on it and there my name was. It was no issue as far as I know.“

“A friend asked to nominate me and we really just wanted to see if I’d be put on the ballot or not,“ Vasold recalled. “I didn’t hear anything about the nomination,“ said the third-year student, who is homecoming queen for the Class of 2011. “And when the link went out for us to vote, I clicked on it and there my name was. It was no issue as far as I know.“

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.

Six Virginia schools made the National Science Foundation’s rankings of the top 200 research universities in the nation. Virginia Tech ranked 46th in the 2008 list based on research and development expenditures. Tech reported expenditures of about $373.28 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008. Virginia Commonwealth University was ranked 108th. It reported $148.65 million in expenditures, an 11 percent increase.

At the Virginia Military Institute, where three to six cadets share rooms “so small they put their bunks up during the day so they can get around,“ officials had expected roommates also would share the swine-flu virus. “But that’s not happening,“ said VMI spokesman Stewart MacInnis. “We’re really not sure of the pattern” of how the virus is spreading among cadets on the Lexington campus, he said.

James Madison junior quarterback Drew Dudzik had a pin inserted in his fractured left foot on Monday, JMU coach Mickey Matthews said. Dudzik will be out at least six weeks, which probably means for the season. Dudzik suffered the injury in the third quarter of the Dukes’ 21-17 loss to Richmond on Saturday. Redshirt freshman Justin Thorpe (Varina High), recently named the starter after splitting time with Dudzik, now will get most of the playing time when the 16th-ranked Dukes (0-2 CAA, 2-3) play host to No.6 Villanova (2-1, 5-1) on Saturday.

Virginia Commonwealth University has been awarded a $190,580 grant to work with Richmond groups to reduce poverty in the region. The Jessie Ball duPont Fund awarded the three-year grant to create the VCU-United Way Financial Stability Alliance. In addition to the United Way, the alliance includes The Community Foundation of central Virginia, the Greater Richmond Earned Income Tax Coalition and New Visions New Ventures.

The Year of the Environment begins Thursday at Virginia Commonwealth University with a two-day E-Festival that includes a sustainability symposium and the chance to paint a Dumpster. At the University of Richmond, students are using pedal power to get around the 350-acre campus, borrowing green bicycles with sturdy tires and big handlebars available for anyone to use.

The Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William and Mary has announced this year’s recipients of the Cheek Medal, created to recognize outstanding contributions to the arts. This year’s honorees—David Alan Brown, curator of Italian Renaissance painting at the National Gallery of Art, and Fred Wilson, a conceptual artist—will be honored at a dinner and ceremony Sept. 18 at the Lake Matoaka Amphitheater at William and Mary.

Some of the top Football Championship Series competition in the country happens in the CAA, and that’s both on and off the field. A mini arms race of facilities and stadiums is under way and will only be fueled when two new teams join the conference in the next two years. Meanwhile, the play on the field is as hot as ever. Eight of the schools in this year’s preseason top 25 play in the CAA, comprising nearly one-third of the list—and Delaware just missed the cut.

While doing film study of William and Mary this week, Virginia’s Aaron Clark couldn’t help but chuckle. “We’re watching the film, and I’m seeing Jake Phillips out there slinging passes, so that was interesting,“ Clark said. Phillips was the Tribe’s quarterback last year, but his brother, John, was a standout tight end for the Cavs. As John’s roommate, Clark was right in the middle of it.

WILLIAMSBURG R.J. Archer never has had a view this good at Scott Stadium. He’s also never faced odds this long. William and Mary’s senior quarterback will try to shake up the football establishment Saturday as he leads the Tribe into the stadium in which he spent many childhood weekends. “I’ve been coming since I was old enough to be carried,“ he said. “We’ve had the same seats forever at the front of the upper deck on the 40-yard line.“

Dr. Waverly Manson Cole agreed on the spot when it was suggested that he donate his collection of 19th-century Bohemian glass, Meissen porcelain figurines and English pottery. The 500-plus pieces are now part of The Cole Gallery at Longwood University and an expansive legacy of giving by the retired anesthesiologist. Dr. Cole died at age 80 on Friday after a battle with cancer.