Manual of the Board of Visitors

(excerpt)

Section 1, Statement of Institutional Purpose. The central purpose of the University of Virginia is to enrich the mind by stimulating and sustaining a spirit of free inquiry directed to understanding the nature of the universe and the role of mankind in it. Activities designed to quicken, discipline, and enlarge the intellectual and creative capacities, as well as the aesthetic and ethical awareness, of the members of the University and to record, preserve, and disseminate the results of intellectual discovery and creative endeavor serve this purpose. In fulfilling it, the University places the highest priority on achieving eminence as a center of higher learning.— Statement of Institutional Purpose adopted by the Board of Visitors in May 1985

Section 2.4, Powers and Duties. The powers and duties conferred upon the Board are to be exercised for the purpose of carrying into effect the Statement of Institutional Purpose.

Section 4.1, The Rector and Vice Rector of the University. The Rector of the University is especially charged with the duty of maintaining that level of interest and activity among the members of the Board of Visitors as will best contribute to the determination of broad policies, wise planning for the future, intelligent and considerate observance of the rights of the faculty and the student body, including the care and preservation of the Honor System, and maintenance of the independence of the Board from outside influences harmful to the interests of the students and faculty of the University.