Monthly Archives: September 2022

New Darden “vision plan” includes student housing

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A presentation on potential changes to the master plan for the Darden School of Business prompted a conversation among members of the University of Virginia Board of Visitors about whether enough space has been reserved for future housing units there. 

At least, that’s one takeaway from listening to the September 15 meeting of the Buildings and Grounds Committee. That group recommends positions on land use decisions at UVA. (agenda) (presentation)

University of Virginia Architect Alice Raucher showed a slide which depicted how the Darden School fits in with the Emmet Ivy Corridor as well as the athletic precinct. Central Grounds is a halfway point between North Grounds and the Downtown Mall.

“And it’s so important that all the work we’re doing at the Emmet Ivy Corridor and Athletics Grounds as well as the [Darden] master plan that we’ll be presenting, it really starts to break down this perceived distance with these pulses of activity.” 

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City’s human rights group seeks input on potential bills for 2023

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There are 113 days until the 2023 session of the Virginia General Assembly convenes, but work is already underway on the next set of bills that will vie for passage of both Houses and signature into law. Earlier this month, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors had another discussion of what they’d like to see, including a further relaxation on Virginia’s open meeting rules to allow for meetings of advisory bodies to be held virtually. 

Charlottesville City Council will also come up with a list of legislative priorities, and the city’s Human Rights Commission is seeking input on what they should recommend through an online survey. (take the survey)

“The HRC envisions this community survey as an opportunity for members of our community to publicly raise topics of shared concern related to human rights,” reads a press release for the survey. “As an advisory body to City Council, the Human Rights Commission can bring Council’s attention to systemic and policy-level human rights concerns and advocate for positive change.”

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Youngkin administration seeks to revoke transgender policy for Virginia public schools

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On Friday afternoon, the administration of Governor Glenn Youngkin announced it would seek to overturn a Virginia Department of Education policy put in place last year to protect the rights of transgendered students. Bills passed the 2020 General Assembly directing the department to create such model policies for all localities to follow. 

“The key guiding principle of the model policies is that all children have a right to learn, free from discrimination and harassment,” reads page eight of the 2021 policy that resulted. (download the 2021 policy) 

Now, Youngkin is proposed replacing that document with one called “Model Policies for Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia’s Public Schools” 

“The 2021 Model Policies promoted a specific viewpoint aimed at achieving cultural and social transformation in schools,” reads the purpose section of the new policy .”The 2021 Model Policies also disregarded the rights of parents and ignored other legal and constitutional principles that significantly impact how schools educate students, including transgender students.”

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