Authority: Title 23, Chapter 12.1, 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. The university is authorized to continue offering its existing doctoral degree in psychology and a limited number of other doctoral programs in specialized areas with approval from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. These doctoral programs are niche programs, consistent with the comprehensive mission of the university, and are targeted to meet critical needs in the Commonwealth.

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, $1,647,698 each year from the general fund is designated for base operating support.

2.  Out of this appropriation, $1,820,338 each year from the general fund is designated to continue the increase in access for in-state undergraduate students begun in the 2011 Session, support the projected growth in transfer students and improve retention and graduation through additional advising for both transfers and  students in high demand majors.

E.1. Out of this appropriation, $991,683 each year from the general fund is designated to achieve the goals of the six-year academic plan submitted by the James Madison University in the fall 2011.  James Madison University shall utilize these funds to implement expansion of nursing programs and to expand existing programs in computer forensics and biophysical chemistry.

2. James Madison University shall reallocate $933,998 the first year and $1,245,331 $3,113,327 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.  The 4-VA, a public-private partnership among George Mason University, James Madison University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and CISCO Systems, Inc., was established to utilize emerging technologies to promote collaboration and resource sharing to increase access, reduce time to graduation and reduce unit cost while maintaining and enhancing quality.  Instructional talent across the four institutions will be leveraged in the delivery of programs in foreign languages, science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It is expected that funding will be pooled by the management board as required to support continuing efforts of the 4-VA priorities and projects.

G. Out of this appropriation, $984,037 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.