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2000 SESSION

004566480
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 199
Offered January 24, 2000
Establishing a joint subcommittee to study the value of tracking college and university completion rates separately from college and university graduation rates.
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Patron-- Miller, Y.B.
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, graduation rates are typically described as the percentage of first-time, full-time students who earn baccalaureate degrees within six years of enrolling at a higher education institution; and

WHEREAS, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia collects data from the public colleges and universities on the percentage of full-time students returning to their second year and the percentage of students graduating within four years, five years and six years of enrollment; and

WHEREAS, analysis of graduation rates is designed to help institutions of higher education meet federal requirements for reporting institutional performance, pursuant to the federal Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act of 1990; and

WHEREAS, graduation rate reflects both students who graduate from the institution in which they first enroll and students who transfer and graduate from another public institutions; and

WHEREAS, although these figures provide valuable insights into the performance of higher education institutions, they must be considered in relation to other factors at each institution; and

WHEREAS, institutions differ markedly in their missions and in terms of the nature of their students, such as their academic qualifications, financial well-being, and degree-completion intentions, and the nature of the institutions' programs; and

WHEREAS, some states define "graduation rate" to mean the percentage of entering freshmen students who graduated from the institution from which they initially enrolled, and "completion rate" to mean the percentage of entering freshmen students who graduated from the institution in which they initially enrolled or from any other institutions within a certain timeframe; and

WHEREAS, making a distinction between an institution's graduation rate and its completion rate would provide additional insight into an institution's performance; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That a joint subcommittee be established to study the value of tracking college and university completion rates separately from college and university graduation rates. The joint subcommittee shall be composed of nine members as follows: three members of the Senate, to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections; four members of the House of Delegates, to be appointed by the Speaker; and the Director of the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia and the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System to serve ex officio with voting privileges .

The direct costs of this study shall not exceed $8,750.

The Division of Legislative Services shall provide staff support for the study. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the joint subcommittee, upon request.

The joint subcommittee shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 2001 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.

Implementation of this resolution is subject to subsequent approval and certification by the Joint Rules Committee. The Committee may withhold expenditures or delay the period for the conduct of the study.