What has the Board of Visitors done lately?

It pays to read the news section of one's University website, even if it generally sucks. From the latest release, titled Summary of Action by JMU Board of Visitors:

Set the 2003-2004 costs to attend JMU for an on-campus Virginia student at $10,794. That figure includes tuition, fees and room and board. For a Virginia commuter student, the cost will be $5,058 a year. The cost for out-of-state commuter and residential students will be $13,280 and $19,016, respectively.

Now I know what the last year of my edumacation will cost.

Approved construction of a new athletic performance center. The $9.8 million center will be located in the south end of Bridgeforth Stadium. Construction is expected to begin in July and be completed by July, 2005. Private and university funds will be used in the project, but no tax money.

This is definitely the best way to spend almost ten million dollars on campus. I can't think of anyone or anything that deserves this money more than the football program.

Voted 7-6 to direct the JMU Health Center to discontinue dispensing Emergency Contraceptive Pills (ECP). The pills currently are available, with a prescription, to students for a $15 fee. The majority of Virginia public colleges and universities make ECPs available to students.

It's a good thing that the BOV is looking out for the students' best interest. If the Health Center continued to make such pills available, there's no telling how many young women would engage in unprotected sex, safe in the knowledge that they could undo whatever pregnancy might result within the next three days. Now, she'll need to think long and hard about whether she wants an abortion or bring another child into this already crowded world before she is ready to support it.

Thank you, Board of Visitors, for protecting our female students from themselves.

Later: To be fair, I received an email today from Mark Warner, Senior VP of Student Affairs:

I want to provide some clarification on an action that was taken at the Board of Visitors meeting on April 18, 2003, regarding Emergency Contraception Pills. The information in the media focused on the "distribution" of the Emergency Contraception Pills, but did not clearly distinguish between "prescribing" and "dispensing" the pills. As a result there has been some confusion about the decisions that were actually made.

Until April 18, 2003, the University Health Center medical staff members were able to prescribe and dispense Emergency Contraceptive Pills. These pills known as Plan B, are not considered "abortion pills" by the FDA. They act as emergency contraceptives.

At the meeting, the Board of Visitors made two decisions regarding Emergency Contraception Pills:

1. The Board reaffirmed the ability of JMU Health Center Physicians to prescribe Emergency Contraceptive Pills, and
2. The Board directed the University Health Center to discontinue the dispensing of Emergency Contraceptive Pills. Students will now need to have the prescriptions for Emergency Contraceptive Pills, written by University Health Center physicians, filled at community pharmacies.

I hope this clears up any confusion.