Mr. Chairman; members of the committee; ladies and gentlemen: good afternoon.

I frequently remind people that our community colleges have had no better partner in its 46-year history than the General Assembly.

We are grateful for that as well as today’s opportunity to discuss how we can leverage that partnership and the introduced budget to meet a goal that we all share: helping more Virginians earn a college credential.

You know, when Governor McDonnell signed the T-J-21 bill into law last year, he said it was creating 6,000 new slots for Virginia college students. And he said 4,000 of those were at Virginia’s Community Colleges.

While that is a small anecdote, it is a telling one – emblematic of the role our community colleges must play if Virginia is to succeed.

You can also see that what our community colleges accomplish:

• In the four years leading up to last May, your community colleges were responsible for nearly one out of every three college degrees awarded by a Virginia public institution;

• Last year, Virginia’s Community College graduates accounted more than one-third of all the science, technology, engineering and mathematics degrees earned at Virginia’s public higher ed institutions; and

• Your community colleges leveraged the $3 million investment you made last year in Workforce Development instruction into job training for 75,000 Virginians and service for 8,000 Virginia employers.

We maintain a public pledge to keep our tuition and fees at less than half of the same charges at Virginia’s public universities. We’re currently just over one-third. Given that, and the results I just mentioned, it’s easy to see how we are helping a lot of people get ahead while saving them – and taxpayers – a lot of money along the way.

Similarly, Senator Hanger has introduced legislation that would make it easier for middle-income families to benefit from the state’s Two Year College Transfer Grant program. We support that legislation and believe it could help hundreds of families every year.

INTRODUCED BUDGET
In general, we are supportive of the introduced budget and grateful for the priority it places on higher education in general and community colleges in particular.

To date, the introduced budget has earned formal resolutions of support from the State Board for Community Colleges as well as the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education – two esteemed panels that include some of Virginia’s most respected community-focused business and industry leaders.

The introduced budget continues moving our partnership in the right direction following some dire years of public funding.

In the four-year period that began in 2008, Virginia’s Community Colleges lost $95 million dollars in General Fund support. At the same time, we enrolled 50,000 additional students.

To offer a broader perspective, Mr. Chairman, since the fall of 2007, Virginia’s Community Colleges have accounted for 69% of the undergraduate enrollment growth at Virginia’s public colleges and universities.

We are proud of that record.

Our colleges were created in a spirit of innovation to address Virginia’s unmet higher educational and workforce needs.

When the chips are down, families use our community colleges as their personal economic recovery plan.

Even in the most challenging times, we are there for them.

Virginia’s Community Colleges are in the second year of an innovative reengineering initiative that is exploring everything we do and asking how can we do it better?

That honest, open process is earning attention across the Commonwealth and across the country. And it is one more reminder of that innovative spirit that gave rise to our colleges.

MOVING FORWARD
In that spirit, Mr. Chairman, I would like to offer just a few thoughts about priorities that support the goal of an additional 100,000 college graduates but are not in the introduced budget:

Capital Outlay remains a challenge for our institutions and the four-year universities, especially as they ramp-up our offerings in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and healthcare.

Across Virginia, we are serving students at our community colleges in buildings that are 40 to 45 years old but were built with a life expectancy of only 25 to 30 years.

Nor were those campuses built with 21st century community college students in mind.

Increasingly, our student enrollments are younger and much more likely to attend full-time – remaining on campus from eight or nine in the morning until five in the evening. They are expecting things we just can’t offer right now, like someplace to study between classes other than the inside of their car.

Virginia’s Community College struggle with finding the right balance of full-time and part-time faculty members.

Over the past decade or so, while balancing funding challenges with the need to remain affordable, we have backed-into a place where the majority of our instructors are part-time employees.

I don’t question the quality of instruction those people bring to the table.  We need more full-time faculty members, however. Our work to improve student retention and student success depends on people who spend their entire day on-campus. We cannot count on that from our adjunct instructors who owe most of their time and attention to their other, primary job.

I must also mention our faculty and staff salaries, which, as you know, have remained stagnant for more than four years now.

As I previously mentioned, we have added more than 50,000 students over the last four years while losing $95 million in General Fund support. The resources simply have not existed to ramp-up our faculty and staff in the same dramatic fashion that our enrollment has.

Forgive the cliché, but in very tangible ways, our people have been doing a lot more with less.

I would hope that the time is drawing near that we can honor that work with even just a modest cost of living salary adjustment.

And finally, Mr. Chairman, I believe a state investment in the VCCS Career Coach program would payoff in our shared pursuit of more college graduates.

Career Coaches are community college employees, who work in high schools with students, helping them carve out customized career and college plans – a task that even guidance counselors will tell you that they lack the time to do. With your help, we could continue expanding this proven and effective strategy to every high school, influencing more and more young people whose vocabulary doesn’t even include the word, “College.”

CLOSING
You know, the first year we opened for business, we served 7,500 students at two colleges.

This year, when you add together our academic and workforce development efforts, we will be serving more than 400,000 Virginians.

We could not have that kind of impact on Virginia without the partnership that we share with you. Thank you. We are grateful for that.

I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

As part of the agreement, the VFCCE and the WF will identify high-impact skill development programs in India that need support, and further partnerships will be forged with government or private initiatives to meet local needs. Virginia community college experts will serve as consultants, sharing best practices, and the Wadhwani Foundation will provide local support and funding for this capacity building.

“Virginia’s two-year community colleges play a vital and unique role in our workforce training efforts,” said Sen. Warner, who is one of eight former Virginia governors to sit on the Honorary Board of Directors of VFCCE. “This agreement will allow Virginia’s Community Colleges to share their expertise and best practices materials as we work with the Wadhwani Foundation to help expand basic skills-based training as India’s middle class explodes in size.”

All 15 colleges had Great Expectations coaches in attendance at the forum.

The youth shared stories about their coaches keeping them on the right track but in addition being there when they needed someone to talk to. The group shared tears from their past, followed by smiles for their future.  By the end of the program it was obvious that because the coaches reached out, these young adults had a support system they could count on-and more importantly a sense of family they never experienced before.

Pictured here were just a few of the students that traveled from across Virginia to be a part of this years forum.

The group will meet again this March for a fun forum filled with games and workshops for the foster youth and Great Expectations coaches. Stay tuned for more updates on our program through our website, Facebook page and blog. 

Dressed in matching yellow shirts, 45-50 developmental educators from Virginia community colleges stood on the steps of Berry Hill plantation to have their picture made with Chancellor Glenn Dubois. 

The first Chancellor’s Developmental Education Institute took place June 12th-17th at the remote but gracious plantation home built in 1728.

Representatives of math and English instructors from each of the colleges in the VCCS worked together to learn about developmental education from the faculty of the National Center for Developmental Education (NCDE) in Boone, NC.  Dr. Hunter R. Boylan, Director of the NCDE, Dr. Barbara Bonham, Dr. Amy Trawick, Dr. Patrick Saxon, and Ms. Barbara Calderwood spent the week sharing their expertise about developmental education.

The week began with an introductory session with Gretchen Schmidt giving an overview of the week.  This was followed by a reception hosted by Danville Community College’s Education Foundation. 

The next day, sleeves were rolled up and the work began. Tuesday, Chancellor Dubois gave an overview of his plan for creating a cadre of developmental educators who would go back to home campuses to teach others.  He gave kudos to Dr. Gretchen Schmidt whose vision for the institute led to this week’s events.
 

The faculty from the NCDE gave a daunting amount of material on learning outcomes, integrating academic and support services, instructional design, and culturally responsive teaching.  Each participant was registered for a subscription to the Journal of Developmental Education and Research in Developmental Education (RIDE) to keep updated about new strategies for working with developmental students. 

Dr. Susan Wood gave remarks at a closing reception hosted by the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE) which ended the four days of hard work.  On Friday each participant gave an overview of professional development projects he/she was preparing to present on home campuses. 
 

The food was wonderful; the rooms were luxurious; the hotel staff was accommodating to a fault.  Paulette Yates is to be commended for all of her hard work bringing it all together. This “working vacation” brought together educators with a common goal – to become the best in the field of developmental education to better serve our students and demonstrate that developmental education is worthy of being recognized as a discipline in its own right.
 

Thank you, Dr. DuBois, for making this possible!

Posted by Laura Powell
Associate Professor
Danville Community College

The subcommittee decided that this legislation had merit, and should be examined within the context of the Governor’s Commission on Higher Education Reform, Innovation, and Investment, which will be working for another year. The subcommittee directed that a letter be sent to the Chairman of the Governor’s Commission on Higher Education so that the scholarship match concept could be explored as a part of the committee’s work plan during the upcoming year. 

SB 1363 (Stosch) received a unanimous vote in the House Education Committee last week, and was re-referred to the House Appropriations Committee, where it has been assigned to the higher education subcommittee. Community College presidents Dr. Gary Rhodes and Dr. Marshall Smith testified in favor of the bill last week, as did Kim Harding, a Germanna Community College student.  The VCCS appreciates all of the work of Senator Walter Stosch in sponsoring SB 1363.

The House Appropriations Committee and Senate Finance Committee have each approved competing versions of the state budget, and once they reject the budget bills of the opposing house, conferees will officially be named. Last year’s conferees were Senators Colgan, Howell, Houck, Saslaw, Stosch and Wampler and Delegates Putney, Cox, Landes, Sherwood, Jones and  Joannou. The calendar calls for the first conference report on the budget to be complete by Feb. 22.

BRCC staff member at the school

Blue Ridge Community College students who participate in the SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise)team – some of whom were in Haiti when a massive earthquake struck in January 2010 — are on their way to more regional and national awards.

BRCC’s team returned from Charlotte, NC recently as the regional champions, and will move on to the national competition in Minneapolis in May for a third shot at the national title.

We were doubly touched by the stories of devastation in Haiti, knowing that two BRCC students and two staff members so narrowly escaped being injured there, and knowing that the school that was their base was entirely destroyed. We’re about to be touched again when team members present their experiences at the upcoming Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy luncheon on April 20.

School students and BRCC team member before the earthquake in January.

In an interview with WHSV tv this week, team sponsor Rebecca Evans says the teams’ real impact on individuals, particularly through their projects in Haiti, sets them apart in the awards competition. She said:

Haiti has been one of the focal points of several of our team’s projects since 2007. Not only is it a country that truly benefits from any form of microbusiness, but its people genuinely appreciate the hand up they are given. The experience also has a profound affect on our students, opening their eyes to the privileges they are afforded everyday simply by living in the U.S.

After the earthquake at the school in Riviere Froide

The school the students visited in Riviere Froide was destroyed by the earthquake while they were there. It was a place that not only educated 1,000 children each day but was the place they were guaranteed a meal each day.

The SIFE team and students from BRCC are now hoping to rebuild the school with donations through the Blue Ridge Educational Foundation. Students have posted the cause on Facebook and at Truehero.org as well. To help, you can donate to the BRCC Haiti Relief Fund through the BRCC Educational Foundation at P.O. Box 80, Weyers Cave, Virginia, 24486.

– posted by Susan Hayden

On March 1, SB 166 (Edwards) and SB 182 (Stosch) were tabled in the Higher Education Subcommittee of House Appropriations. Members indicated that they were philosophically opposed to lowering the grade point average in SB 182 from 3.0 to 2.5. Delegate Clarence “Bud” Phillips indicated that he would like for the subcommittee to revisit the scholarship match legislation and the current parameters for the transfer grant program in the future so that more students can succeed in community college. 

Meanwhile, the budget conferees are heading into their last weekend of negotiations prior to the end of the regularly scheduled General Assembly session. Budget conferees are Delegates Putney, Kirk Cox, Sherwood, Landes, Chris Jones, and Joannou and Senators Colgan, Houck, Howell, Saslaw, Stosch, and Wampler. 

It has been rumored that the Governor may call for up to two more special sessions in the upcoming months.

Posted by Ellen Davenport

Greg Foley, left, with daughters Josie and Bridhit, receives a "big check" from Chancellor Glenn DuBois and Germanna legislators.

Greg Foley, from Germanna, is retired from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue service after being injured as a first responder to the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on Sept. 11. 2001. On a fixed disability income, he plans to complete his associate’s degree before transferring, with a long-term goal of earning a doctorate in psychology.

James Barchanowicz, from John Tyler, joined the Army the day of the terrorist attack, served for three years and now works in public safety with Caroline County. He is completing an associate’s degree in police science and continues to serve in the Virginia Air National Guard.

Wizard scholarship winner James Barchanowicz with JTCC President Marshall Smith, Foundation Chair Julien Patterson, and JTCC legislators

The scholarship winners were randomly selected from among the 72,000 that have signed up for an account on the Virginia Education Wizard, the online resource for planning higher education and careers. The scholarships were sponsored by the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education.

The legislative reception, held at the Library of Virginia, was sponsored by the VFCCE through the generosity of its corporate supporters, which also included Verizon, Electronic Systems, Deloitte, Canon, Feridies, Oracle, Froehling & Robertson, Inc., HDH & Associates, Siddall, Moseley Architects, Gilbane, and Cole & Denny.

posted by Susan Hayden

All of these bills will spur private investment in Virginia’s economic recovery, and attract private investment in the education and training of Virginia’s workforce.  Approval of these bills by legislators will send an important message about the priority that is placed on increasing the number of Virginia college graduates along with a commitment to maximize the effectiveness of the private resources. 

The Community College Scholarship Match program will provide a needed and overdue public/private partnership to confront the challenge of increasing the number of Virginia’s college graduates.  By  matching dollars raised privately with state funds, more graduates will be produced to ensure the future success of the Commonwealth.  

Posted by Ellen Davenport

Sullivan said she was drawn to the University of Virginia because of its Jeffersonian values and traditions, its academic reputation, its powerful undergraduate student experience and its firm commitment to a public mission.

“It is one of the truly great public universities in the country,” she said. “In fact, it is one of the great universities in the world.

“I am honored by the opportunity to lead this University – and to follow John Casteen in this role. He has set the standard for what it is to be a university president and a leader in higher education.”

Sullivan is the provost and executive vice president of the University of Michigan.  She also previously worked for 27 years at the University of Texas at Austin.

She has some big shoes to fill in following UVa’s current president,  John T. Casteen III, who is retiring this summer.

Casteen, who has long been a supporter of Virginia’s Community Colleges, will soon become even more familiar with them by becoming a member of the board of the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE) – a wonderful addition to the foundation board that has garned a good deal of media attention.

Posted by Jeffrey Kraus