HD76 - Virginia Community College System Funding and Focus


Executive Summary:
House Joint Resolution 119 (1996), sponsored by Delegate Alan A. Diamonstein and Senate Joint Resolution 43 (1996), sponsored by Senator John H. Chichester requested the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the State Board for Community Colleges to examine ways to strengthen and focus funding for the Virginia Community College System. The Council and the Board were asked to consider the unique mission, student populations, and programs offered by the community colleges.

The major recommendations of the study, include the following:

• As a first priority, the 1997 General Assembly provide additional funding of $3.0 million to increase community college faculty salaries by 5 percent in 1997-98, and $1.9 million for the 1997-98 salaries and benefits of a base staff adjustment requested by the Community College System and recommended by the Council of Higher Education.

• The General Assembly continue to improve state support for community colleges to fulfill the intent expressed in the Appropriation Act ''that funding for Virginia's public colleges and universities shall be based primarily on criteria such as staffing comparisons to similar institutions nationally; student financial aid that meets 50 percent of student need after all other sources of aid have been considered; and such other criteria as may be recommended by the State Council of Higher Education." Needed improvements include competitive faculty salaries, technological equipment and related operating expenses, keeping tuition affordable, a higher proportion of full-time faculty, and maintenance reserve funding for worn out roofs and mechanical systems.

Both the State Board and the Council recognize that the state's ability to provide additional general fund support is finite and that needs will have to be placed in priority order. Both bodies are prepared to do this in their future budget requests and recommendations.

• The State Board for Community Colleges be appropriated an additional $100,000 to develop appropriate system-wide contracts, including the privatization of some college services.

• The General Assembly's first funding priority for community colleges should be to improve state support for credit instruction. That being accomplished however, the General Assembly could then support the VCCS in its initiative to expand its workforce training services and should ask the state's economic development leaders for their advice on how this would help Virginia compete. Assuming a positive response, a good initial step would be to appropriate $500,000 to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership for a pilot program of state support for non-credit workforce training courses under industry contracts. This state support would be available to help existing businesses that are not necessarily new or expanding to obtain education, training and retraining services.

• No change be made to the current policy that no state support is provided for students in non-credit avocational or recreational courses.