Authority: Title 23, Chapter 9.2, Code of Virginia.

A. This Item includes general and nongeneral fund appropriations to support institutional initiatives that help meet statewide goals described in the Restructured Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operations Act of 2005 (Chapters 933 and 945, 2005 Acts of Assembly). 

B. Out of this appropriation an amount estimated at $80,483 the first year and $80,483 the second year from the general fund and $36,130 the first year and $36,130 the second year from nongeneral funds are designated for the educational telecommunications project to provide graduate engineering education.  The participating institutions and centers shall jointly submit an annual report and operating plan to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia in support of these funded activities.

C. As Virginia's public colleges and universities approach full funding of the base adequacy guidelines and as the General Assembly strives to fully fund the general fund share of the base adequacy guidelines, these funds are provided with the intent that, in exercising their authority to set tuition and fees, the Board of Visitors shall take into consideration the impact of escalating college costs for Virginia students and families.  In accordance with the cost-sharing goals set forth in § 4-2.01 b. of this act, the Board of Visitors is encouraged to limit increases on tuition and mandatory educational and general fees for in-state, undergraduate students to the extent possible.

D.1. Out of this appropriation, $443,115 each year from the general fund is designated for base operating support.

2.  Out of this appropriation, $211,038 each year from the general fund is designated to address the projected growth in transfer students and efforts to improve retention and graduation through the first year experience program.

E.1. Out of this appropriation, $467,402 each year from the general fund is designated to achieve the goals of the six-year academic plan submitted by the University of Mary Washington in the fall 2011.  University of Mary Washington shall utilize these funds to support changes in academic program needs through adding new faculty in the sciences, mathematics and computer science.

2. The University of Mary Washington shall reallocate $270,930 the first year and $361,240 $903,101 the second year from current educational and general program funds either to support the initiatives identified in paragraph E.1. and / or to address programs and strategies that serve to advance the objectives of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011.

F. Out of this appropriation, $219,317 the second year from the general fund is designated to supplement the original funding allocations provided to higher education in support of the goals of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011 and the institution's six-year plan.  The methodologies used to allocate this supplemental funding are not in lieu of finalizing and implementing a long-term approach for distributing future funding provided to higher education institutions.  It is anticipated that any future funding will approximate the percentage of funding allocated for base operating costs (30 percent), financial aid (10 percent), degree incentives (16 percent), enrollment growth (24 percent), and initiatives/research (20 percent) in the 2012 Appropriation Act.