Authority: Title 23, Chapter 6.1, 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.1. Out of this appropriation, $4,217,317 the first year and $4,309,327 the second year from the general fund is provided for the operation of the Family Practice Residency Program and Family Practice medical student programs. This appropriation for Family Practice programs, whether ultimately implemented by contract, agreement or other means, is considered to be a grant.

2. The university shall report by July 1 annually to the Department of Planning and Budget an operating plan for the Family Practice Residency Program.

3. The university, in cooperation with the University of Virginia, shall establish elective Family Practice Medicine experiences in Southwest Virginia for both students and residents.

4. In the event the Governor imposes across-the-board general fund reductions, pursuant to his executive authority in § 4-1.02 of this act, the general fund appropriation for the Family Practice programs shall be exempt from any reductions, provided the general fund appropriation for the family practice program is excluded from the total general fund appropriation for Virginia Commonwealth University for purposes of determining the University's portion of the statewide general fund reduction requirement.

C. Out of this appropriation, an amount estimated at $332,140 the first year and $332,140 the second year from the general fund and $168,533 the first year and $168,533 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.  For supplemental budget requests, the participating institutions and centers jointly shall submit a report in support of such requests to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia for review and recommendation to the Governor and General Assembly.

D.1. Out of this appropriation, not less than $261,685 the first year and not less than $261,685 the second year from the general fund is designated for the Virginia Center on Aging. This includes $194,750 each year for the Alzheimer's and Related Diseases Research Award Fund.

2. Out of this appropriation, $253,244 the first year and $253,244 the second year from the general fund and $356,250 the first year and $356,250 the second year from nongeneral funds are designated for the operation of the Virginia Geriatric Education Center and the Geriatric Academic Career Awards Program, both to be administered by the Virginia Center on Aging.

E. It is the intent of the General Assembly that Virginia Commonwealth University, in conjunction with the University of Virginia and Eastern Virginia Medical School, maintain its efforts to educate and train sufficient generalist physicians to meet the needs of the Commonwealth, recognizing the Commonwealth's need for generalist physicians in medically underserved regions of the state.  Further, it is the intent that the university support medical education and training in the principles of generalist medicine for all undergraduate medical students, regardless of their chosen specialty or field of study. 

F. All costs for maintenance and operation of the physical plant of the School of Engineering, Phase I and future renovations, repairs, and improvements as they become necessary shall be financed from nongeneral funds.

G. It is the intent of the General Assembly to assist the three Virginia medical schools as they respond to changes in the need for delivery and financing of medical education, both undergraduate and graduate.

H. Out of this appropriation, $243,675 the first year and $243,675 the second year from the general fund is designated for support of the Council on Economic Education.

I. Out of this appropriation, $32,753 the first year and $32,753 the second year from the general fund is designated for support of the Education Policy Institute.

J.1. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, Virginia Commonwealth University is authorized to remit tuition and fees for merit scholarships for students of high academic achievement subject to the following limitations and restrictions:

2. The number of such scholarships annually awarded to undergraduate Virginia students shall not exceed 20 percent of the fall headcount enrollment of Virginia students in undergraduate studies in the institution from the preceding academic year. The total value of such merit scholarships annually awarded shall not exceed in any year the amount arrived at by multiplying the applicable figure for undergraduate tuition and required fees by 20 percent of the headcount enrollment of Virginia students in undergraduate studies in the institution for the fall semester from the preceding academic year.

3. The number of such scholarships annually awarded to undergraduate non-Virginia students shall not exceed 20 percent of the fall headcount enrollment of non-Virginia students in undergraduate studies in the institution from the preceding academic year. The total value of such merit scholarships annually awarded shall not exceed in any year the amount arrived at by multiplying the applicable figure for undergraduate tuition and required fees by 20 percent of the fall headcount enrollment of non-Virginia students in undergraduate studies in the institution during the preceding academic year.

4. A scholarship awarded under this program shall entitle the holder to receive an annual remission of an amount not to exceed the cost of tuition and required fees to be paid by the student.

K. Out of this appropriation, $202,595 the first year and $202,595 the second year from the general fund is provided for the Medical College of Virginia Palliative Care Partnership.

L. 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.

M. The appropriation for the fund source Higher Education Operating in this Item shall be considered a sum sufficient appropriation, which is an estimate of the amount of revenues to be collected for the educational and general program under the terms of the management agreement between Virginia Commonwealth University and the Commonwealth, as set forth in Chapters 594 and 616, of the 2008 Acts of Assembly.

N.1. Out of this appropriation, $3,565,354 each year from the general fund is designated for base operating support.

2.  Out of this appropriation, $2,916,627 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 University College initiative and enhanced advising.

O.1. Out of this appropriation, $684,120 each year from the general fund is designated to achieve the goals of the six-year academic plan submitted by the Virginia Commonwealth University in the fall 2011.  Virginia Commonwealth University shall utilize these funds to implement development of the summer session as a "third semester" to reduce time to degree, expansion of undergraduate research opportunities, expansion of health career options through enhanced advising of pre-health and STEM majors, and the advancement of newly established degree programs in the Center for Clinical and Translational Research.

2. Virginia Commonwealth University shall reallocate $2,150,379 the first year and $2,867,172 $7,167,930 the second year from current educational and general program funds either to support the initiatives identified in paragraph O.1. and / or to address programs and strategies that serve to advance the objectives of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011.

P.  Out of this appropriation, $500,000 the second year from the general fund is designated for the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy to support the Center for Compounding Practice and Research.  The allocation will serve to support any costs associated with creating the Center including facility-related expenses as well as the purchase of the compounding equipment necessary for this state of the art teaching and research facility and will be leveraged as a matching gift with private funds.  The Center will train Pharm.D. students to meet technical compounding demands, provide continuing education to registered pharmacists and conduct ongoing research on compounded medications.

Q. Out of this appropriation, $1,250,427 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.