The James Madison University Board of Visitors met at 1 p.m. on Friday, March 24, 2000, at the Board Room in Chandler Hall. Following is a summary of actions taken by the board and of key areas of discussion at the board meeting:

• Heard a report from JMU President Linwood H. Rose summarizing the following: awards received from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education to the Division of University Relations; recognition from the Association of College Unions International for the Student Success Marketing Campaign and for the Campus Center's website; General Assembly actions; Institutional Performance Agreements; SACS accreditation process; the SCHEV spring conference for Board of Visitors members on April 7; the Presidential Alumni and Development tour; admissions applications and notification; construction update; Art Auction on April 15; James Madison Day on March 17; VPAA search; and May 6 Commencement.

• Agreed to increase tuition and mandatory fees for in-state students from the current $3,926 to the 2000-2001 total of $4,000. Tuition will remain at $1,550 in accordance with a state mandate freezing tuition. A special $36 technology fee will also remain unchanged. The $74 increase is in the university's comprehensive fee which covers non-academic campus activities, such as student organizations, health care, transportation, recreation and athletics. Room and board will increase $108 to $5,290 for both in-state and out-of-state students. The new total for a Virginia student who lives on campus will be $9,290. Out-of-state tuition and fees, which are not affected by the state mandate, will increase from $9,532 to $9,850 a 3.3 percent increase. The new total for an out-of-state student who lives on campus will be $15,140 a $426 increase over this year.

• Voted to turn over the future selection of the student board member to the JMU student body. By a 5-4 vote, the visitors decided to give the JMU student body the option of either naming the Student Government Association president as the student board member or electing another student to the position. The change will take place with next spring's selection of a new student board member. A student has served in a non-voting capacity on JMU's board since 1984. Student board members have always been rising seniors who serve for a year.

• Elected a junior from Minnetonka, Minn., Justin D. Markell, as the student member of the board. Markell, a history and political science major, will assume the student board spot for a year, beginning July 1. He will succeed Emily S. Couch of Dayton, who is graduating from JMU in May. An honors student, Markell is a member of JMU's Judicial Council and Honor Council. Markell was chosen by the board from three finalists who were selected by a university screening committee from student applicants.