RICHMOND -- Parents of students killed in the Virginia Tech shootings were rebuffed this week after they made several requests to speak to the university's board of visitors.

The board wrapped up its two-day meeting Monday. Catherine Read of Centreville said she and her husband decided not to attend. She said they tried several times over the past month to get permission through e-mails, a letter and telephone calls to university officials.

"We're disappointed," she said. "We're just not sure what to do now. We had a proposal that we hoped would bring healing to everyone."

Read is the stepmother of Mary Karen Read, a freshman who was one of 32 people killed by Seung-Hui Cho in the shooting attack.

Another parent, Joseph Samaha, said he had tried to meet privately with a member of the board about the proposal, but he was told that members are not allowed to discuss university matters. Samaha's daughter, Reema, also died in the attack.

"I don't know what their story is," he said. "They just haven't elected to meet with us."

Jacob Lutz, the rector for Tech's board of visitors, said the group has never taken public comments during its quarterly meetings.

"The board has policies on how matters come before the board," he said. "It's just a matter of following procedure."

Read and Samaha said the proposal would be a "living memorial" to those killed in the attack.

"We are trying to work with the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors and the university and are still waiting for them to respond," Read said.

Lutz said the board wants families to submit ideas for memorials, but he said those proposals are being handled by the Office of Recovery and Support. That office was created last month by Tech President Charles Steger to serve as a liaison to families of the shooting victims.

"We have set up an entire office to deal with any issues the families might have," he said.

Jay Poole, director of the new office, said he has received ideas for memorials from several of the victims' families and will present recommendations to the board of visitors at a later meeting.

University boards of visitors typically do not take public comments during their meetings, although exceptions are occasionally made. The Old Dominion University board allows individuals to file a written request to speak. Requests are screened by the university's rector and president. The procedure has been used only once in nine years, by a group of students.