SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2007 SESSION

073707524
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 625
Offered January 10, 2007
Prefiled January 8, 2007
Establishing a joint subcommittee to study the feasibility of establishing a four-year degree granting institution of higher education in the City of Virginia Beach. Report.
----------
Patron-- Tata
----------
Referred to Committee on Rules
----------

WHEREAS, increased accessibility to institutions of higher education is in the best interest of the Commonwealth and its citizens; and

WHEREAS, institutions of higher education serve the dual role of educating students and anchoring economic development in the communities where they are located; and

WHEREAS, in July 2005, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia issued revised enrollment projections suggesting that between fall 2004 and fall 2012, in-state student enrollment at public colleges and universities will increase by 56,510 students; and

WHEREAS, most of the growth (approximately 40,000) is directed toward the community colleges, with half of the growth anticipated at Northern Virginia Community College and Tidewater Community College; and

WHEREAS, the City of Virginia Beach is currently the 38th largest city in the United States and the most populous city in the Commonwealth with approximately 438,000 citizens according to the United States Census Bureau estimate; and

WHEREAS, a four-year institution could transform the City of Virginia Beach from a resort town to a real community for a lifetime and ensure that fewer students leave Virginia Beach after high school; and

WHEREAS, though the City of Virginia Beach is served by the Virginia Community College System, there is no comprehensive four-year institution or branch campus that can be easily accessed by the citizens in the area; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That a joint subcommittee be established to study the feasibility of establishing a four-year degree-granting institution of higher education in the City of Virginia Beach.  The joint subcommittee shall have a total membership of 17 that shall consist of eight legislative members, two nonlegislative citizen members, and seven ex-officio members. Members shall be appointed as follows: five members of the House of Delegates to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates in accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the Rules of the House of Delegates; three members of the Senate to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; one nonlegislative citizen member who shall be a member of the City Council of Virginia Beach to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; and one nonlegislative citizen member who shall be a citizen at-large from the city of Virginia Beach to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules. The Presidents of the College of William and Mary,  George Mason University, Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Virginia Tech or his/her designees, and the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System or his/her designee, shall serve ex officio with nonvoting privileges. Nonlegislative citizen members of the joint subcommittee shall be citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unless otherwise approved in writing by the chairman of the joint subcommittee and the respective Clerk, nonlegislative citizen members shall only be reimbursed for travel originating and ending within the Commonwealth of Virginia for the purpose of attending meetings. If a companion joint resolution of the other chamber is agreed to, written authorization of both Clerks shall be required. The joint subcommittee shall elect a chairman and vice chairman from among its membership, who shall be members of the General Assembly.

In conducting its study, the joint subcommittee shall: (i) review the policies and procedures, if any, for the establishment of colleges, branch campuses and regional higher education centers in the Commonwealth, including accreditation; (ii) analyze the availability of appropriate facilities, space, and grounds for enhanced higher education services and the availability of qualified professors, instructors, administrators, and staff; (iii) explore the interest of the local community and support for providing increased availability of higher education services; (iv) determine the interest of the College of William and Mary, George Mason University, Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Virginia Tech in establishing a branch campus in the city of Virginia Beach; (v) consult with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and public and private colleges and universities currently serving the city of Virginia Beach or in the position to provide higher education services to the city of Virginia Beach; and (vi) consider such other issues as may be deemed necessary by the joint subcommittee. 

Administrative staff support shall be provided by the Office of the Clerk of the House of Delegates. Legal, research, policy analysis, and other services as requested by the joint subcommittee shall be provided by the Division of Legislative Services.  Technical assistance shall be provided by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the joint subcommittee for this study, upon request.

The joint subcommittee shall be limited to four meetings for the 2007 interim and four meetings for the 2008 interim, and the direct costs of this study shall not exceed $8,800 for each year without approval as set out in this resolution. Approval for unbudgeted nonmember-related expenses shall require the written authorization of the chairman of the joint subcommittee and the respective Clerk.  If a companion joint resolution of the other chamber is agreed to, written authorization of both Clerks shall be required.

No recommendation of the joint subcommittee shall be adopted if a majority of the House members or a majority of the Senate members appointed to the joint subcommittee (i) vote against the recommendation and (ii) vote for the recommendation to fail notwithstanding the majority vote of the joint subcommittee.

The joint subcommittee shall complete its meetings for the first year by November 30, 2007, and for the second year by November 30, 2008, and the chairman shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the next Regular Session of the General Assembly for each year. Each executive summary shall state whether the joint subcommittee intends to submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summaries and reports shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.

Implementation of this resolution is subject to subsequent approval and certification by the Joint Rules Committee.  The Committee may approve or disapprove expenditures for this study, extend or delay the period for the conduct of the study, or authorize additional meetings during the 2007 or 2008 interims.