SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2008 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 91
Establishing a joint subcommittee to study ways in which the Commonwealth may work more closely with Virginia’s private, nonprofit colleges to meet state higher education needs. Report.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 5, 2008
Agreed to by the Senate, March 4, 2008

 

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth’s system of higher education is one of the best in the country and Virginia’s private colleges have contributed to this success; and

WHEREAS, private colleges and universities have educated the Commonwealth’s citizens since the 1700s and offer a variety of educational options, including four single-sex institutions, three historically Black colleges and universities, nationally ranked liberal arts colleges, and 17 institutions with graduate and professional programs; and

WHEREAS, Virginia’s 31 private, nonprofit colleges are a valuable and often underutilized resource of the Commonwealth, with 70,000 students and 15,000 employees; and

WHEREAS, Virginia’s private colleges are serving a public mission and have an enrollment that includes 21 percent African-American students and 28 percent Pell Grant recipients; and

WHEREAS, private institutions offer Virginia students personal attention, small classes, leadership opportunities, and a well-rounded education in the liberal arts and sciences; and

WHEREAS, Article VIII, Section 11 of the Constitution of Virginia permits the Commonwealth to contract with private, nonprofit colleges for educational services; and

WHEREAS, the shortage of nurses is a pressing concern in the Commonwealth, and seven private colleges offer nursing programs, and private colleges confer 31 percent of all four-year degrees in the health professions; and

WHEREAS, there is also a shortage of teachers in the Commonwealth, and 24 private institutions offer teacher preparation programs, and 15,200 licensed Virginia K-12 instructional personnel have earned a degree from a Virginia private college; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth realizes substantial savings in general fund and capital expenditures when Virginia students enroll in a private college; and

WHEREAS, in 2008, 20,000 Virginia residents will receive the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG), a tuition equalization program that began in 1973 and currently represents less than five percent of the state’s annual higher education budget; and

WHEREAS, trends show an increasing demand for enrollment in the Commonwealth’s institutions of higher education; and

WHEREAS, Virginia’s private colleges have existing capacity to enroll more Virginia students and have no financial incentive to enroll out-of-state students; and

WHEREAS, enrollment projections for the years 2007-2014 for four-year public institutions of higher education indicate limited enrollment capacity for new, in-state undergraduate students, and the projected availability of only 1,537 additional new spaces in 2014 over the current enrollment; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That a joint subcommittee be established to study ways in which the Commonwealth may work more closely with Virginia’s private, nonprofit colleges to meet state higher education needs. The joint subcommittee shall have a total membership of 15 members that shall consist of eight legislative members, four nonlegislative citizen members, and three 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 the president of a private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, and one nonlegislative citizen member at-large to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; and one nonlegislative citizen member who shall be the president of a public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, and one nonlegislative citizen member at-large to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules. The Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, and the Chairman of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia or their designees shall serve ex officio with voting privileges. In addition, the joint subcommittee shall provide for the participation of representatives of private, nonprofit colleges in Virginia, who shall participate without voting privileges and without compensation or reimbursement for travel expenses. 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 success of the Tuition Assistance Grant Program and develop recommendations to increase the effectiveness and awareness of the program among Virginia families; (ii) evaluate current and future higher education enrollment needs and identify ways in which the Commonwealth can partner or enter into contracts with Virginia private colleges to meet these needs; (iii) examine the ability of private colleges to provide the technology, equipment, and facilities necessary to serve Virginia students; (iv) review publicly supported programs for private higher education in other states and consider the applicability of such programs to Virginia; and (v) examine the success of private colleges in educating disadvantaged students and recommend ways in which the Commonwealth can help private colleges continue this important public mission.

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, and the staffs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance. 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 2008 interim and four meetings for the 2009 interim, and the direct costs of this study shall not exceed $9,600 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, 2008, and for the second year by November 30, 2009, 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 2008 and 2009 interims.