Additional Board and University Policies and Guidelines
Confidentiality Policy
Adopted October 4, 2002 by the Board of Trustees:
In the course of their duties, all Trustees will be privy to information that is sensitive or proprietary to the University. They will also be privy to discussions of issues and ideas that are not intended to go outside the Board or to those employees or agents of the University included by the Board in its discussion. The Board and its committees cannot function properly or effectively unless the confidentiality of all such information and all such discussions is maintained. All doubts should be resolved against disclosing confidential or potentially confidential information to anyone outside the Board. Any questions concerning this policy or its application should be directed to the Rector.
Conflict of Interest Policy
Adopted October 4, 2002 by the Board of Trustees:
It is the policy of the University of Richmond to require each member of the its Board of Trustees to conduct his or her personal business, financial and other relationship in a manner designed to avoid any likelihood of a conflict, or appearance of conflict, between such interests and those of the University. Membership on the Board places all Trustees in a position demanding the highest degree of integrity and objectivity with respect to transactions between the University and outside organizations.
It is impractical to conceive of and set forth rules that cover all situations in which a conflict may arise. For instance, a Trustee may have a conflict of interest if he or she or a member of his or her immediate family owns or has a substantial direct or indirect investment in, or holds a position as an officer, director or employee of, a firm with which the University has or is considering entering into a business relationship. However, investments in small amounts of securities of a large publicly held corporation are not intended to be restricted. The basic factor in all conflict situations is the division of loyalty between the best interests of the University and the personal interests of the individual involved. If the personal interest of the Trustee is such that it might impair or reasonably appear to impair the Trustee's independent, unbiased judgment in discharging his or her responsibilities to the University, then there is a conflict.
Above all, it is important that each Trustee use good judgment and adhere honestly and fairly to the spirit of this policy.
If a Trustee believes he or she is in or about to enter a conflict of interest, he or she should promptly report the situation to the Rector and should decline to vote on any matter falling within the conflict at any meeting or in any consent of the Board or any of its committees.
Any questions concerning this policy or its application should be directed to the Rector.
Guidelines for Responding to Requests Made to or by a Trustee
for Special Consideration of an Applicant for Admission
Adopted May 7, 2004 by the Board of Trustees:
Purpose: Members of the University community, including Trustees, are occasionally able to identify promising applicants for admission to the University of Richmond. Trustees also may be approached by acquaintances with a request to assist in the admission process of an applicant whose qualifications may not be accurately or fully known. The Trustees might wish to adopt guidelines for responses to such requests and for any related interaction with the University, as outlined in this document. Such guidelines are intended to protect the recommenders, the interests of the University, the privacy of the applicant, and the integrity of the admission process.
Mission Statement for Admission Practices
Undergraduates: The University seeks to enroll a diverse student body of the highest intellectual potential, capable of benefiting from the University's challenging and engaging learning experience. The University's goal is to become one of the most selective, primarily undergraduate institutions in the nation, producing graduates who are prepared to go on to the best graduate and professional programs and to assume the most challenging roles in our society. In a limited number of cases, preference is given to students who, because of their talents or backgrounds, are likely to engender special contributions to the University.
The Law School admission philosophy is similar to that for undergraduates.
In all cases, an accepted applicant's complete record contains evidence of the ability to complete successfully a degree program at the University of Richmond.
Circumstances for Special Consideration
Identifying strong applicants: In keeping with the University's admission goals, Trustees are encouraged to identify academically gifted candidates whose credentials surpass those of our current pool.
Competitive candidates should submit an application, and the Trustee recommender should feel free to call attention to the applicant. Admission is not decided by grades and scores alone, so care must be taken to avoid offering any promising statements about admission. Experience has shown that oral reports of grades and scores do not always reflect the official record.
Requests for special consideration: Trustees might be asked by acquaintances to recommend candidates for admission whose credentials either are not known, or are known but not in keeping with our rising academic profile. In these cases, it is especially important to avoid offering any promising statements about the chances for admission.
Suggested Response to Requestors
Should a Trustee be approached by a colleague, friend or relative to recommend a student for admission, a suggested response might be:
"Admission to Richmond is at its most competitive level ever in the history of the University. I will be pleased to ask the Admission Office to take a close look at [candidate's name]'s credentials, but want you to be aware that my recommendation will be just one of many factors considered in the final admission decision. Each candidate must gain admission on his or her own merits."
(This language helps to protect you in the event of a negative decision.)
Whom to contact at the University and what to expect
Because admission decisions require comparative judgments of thousands of applicants (over 6,200 undergraduate applications for a class of approximately 765, and over 2430 law applications for a class of approximately 165), and must be completed during the most intense part of our academic calendar, it is important that Trustee communications be coordinated by a single administrative office. Direct calls to the Admission Offices are discouraged due to the large volume of work that is experienced during the admission cycle. Timely requests from Trustees for special consideration should be made (in writing if possible) to the University president. One notice is sufficient to register your interest in a candidate, and follow-up calls to inquire about status are not advised.
To help the University process your request, you might be asked some questions to clarify the reasons for your interest in the applicant, such as:
a) "From what you have learned about his/her academic credentials, do you believe his/her record is on a par, or surpasses, the academic profile presented by Richmond's most recently admitted students?"
b) "Is this student a [relative/child of a colleague/child of a personal friend/other]?"
c) "Does this student have special qualities apart from academic credentials that warrant special consideration?" [Note any qualities applicable].
d) "What is your level of enthusiasm for the candidate?" [highest possible, strong, average, courtesy only]
In addition, you will probably be asked to rank all of the students you recommend in order of importance to you.
The integrity of the admission process reflects the University's fundamental values. Undue influence on that process is, in general, inconsistent with those values. Also, bear in mind that information shared by family members or candidates themselves concerning academic credentials may not be totally accurate or complete. The Admission Office requires official high school transcripts and standardized test scores, and under a strict professional code of ethics, is not permitted to divulge those credentials to outside parties. Therefore, only the Admission Office has access to the student's full record. Moreover, since all admission decisions require comparative judgments within the entire pool of applicants, singling out any individual candidate's credentials for consideration is not an effective measure of his/her strengths vis-à-vis the full pool. Keeping all of this in mind, enthusiasm for candidates should be tempered.
With the University's best, long-term interests in mind, and with each Trustee using wise judgment while adhering to these guidelines, the University of Richmond will benefit tremendously and make strides toward achieving its ambitious admission goals.