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2020 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 231
Commending the Roanoke Higher Education Center.

 

Agreed to by the Senate, March 5, 2020
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 7, 2020

 

WHEREAS, the Roanoke Higher Education Center, an institution housing 10 colleges, universities, and workforce training programs since 2000, celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2020; and

WHEREAS, the Roanoke Higher Education Center serves over 2,500 students yearly and supports the career ambitions of thousands of Virginians living in and around Roanoke, offering associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, along with certificates and endorsements in the region; and

WHEREAS, the Roanoke Higher Education Center offers courses and training that are tailored to suit the needs of both students and businesses in the area; since it opened in August 2000, the Roanoke Higher Education Center has awarded over 12,000 degrees, certificates, and endorsements; and

WHEREAS, the General Assembly established in 1998 the Roanoke Higher Education Authority, a political subdivision of the Commonwealth designated to renovate and rehabilitate the Norfolk and Western Railway office building, transitioning a building built in the Industrial Age into a facility with advanced technology designed to meet the needs of the Information Age; and

WHEREAS, that same year, following a study requested by the General Assembly, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia unanimously concluded that a need existed for an education center in Roanoke; and

WHEREAS, Destination Education, a coalition of more than 70 business, civic, and educational leaders from the Roanoke Valley, was created to help fund and establish the Roanoke Higher Education Center; and

WHEREAS, the Roanoke Higher Education Center offers higher education and training through its member institutions, including Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, James Madison University, Mary Baldwin University, Old Dominion University, Radford University, Region 5 Adult Education, TAP-Total Action For Progress, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and Virginia Western Community College, which deliver world-class programs and services to the citizens of the Roanoke region; and

WHEREAS, by providing exceptional educational opportunities and workforce training, the Roanoke Higher Education Center serves residents of Roanoke Valley by increasing opportunities for higher-earning employment while supporting the growth and development of the region’s various businesses and industries; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Roanoke Higher Education Center and its member institutions and programs serving the Roanoke Valley on the occasion of the center’s 20th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Kay Dunkley, executive director of the Roanoke Higher Education Center, as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration and respect for the center’s contributions to Roanoke and the Commonwealth.