The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) has a codified responsibility to develop the Commonwealth’s state-level strategic plan for higher education and to review The Plan every six years to ensure its relevance in addressing critical issues. In 2019, to fulfill a Code requirement and more important, to identify the main near- and long-term issues facing higher education, SCHEV began the review of the current Plan.

The project staff spent a year reviewing quantitative data and suggestions and comments from an array of stakeholders. The process included a look at “The Virginia Plan in Action (2014-2020)," identifying accomplishments over the last six years and where efforts should be focused moving forward. Such analysis shaped the resultant new plan - Pathway to Opportunity: The Virginia Plan for Higher Education, which sets forth goals and strategies to address critical issues and includes measures to assess progress toward those goals.

Developing the new Plan amid the pandemic and the emergence of social justice issues sharpened the focus on the challenges of equity, affordability and transformative outcomes. These issues reflect the new goals approved by Council. The new Plan is being presented Council’s January meeting for final input.