Authority: Title 23, Chapter 16, 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. It is the objective of the Commonwealth that a standard of 70 percent full-time faculty be established for the Virginia Community College System. Consistent with higher education funding guidelines, it is expected that the Virginia Community College System will utilize the funds provided for base operating support to achieve this objective. In addition, the first priority for new funding provided to the community college system shall be for operating support at individual community colleges. Thirty days prior to the beginning of each fiscal year, the Virginia Community College System shall report to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees on the allocation of all new general funds and nongeneral funds in this item and any cost recovery plans between the individual community colleges and the system office.

C. It is the intent of the General Assembly that funds available to the Virginia Community College System be reallocated to accommodate changes in enrollment and other cost factors at each of the community colleges.

D. Tuition and fee revenues from out-of-state students taking distance education courses through the Virginia Community College System must exceed all direct and indirect costs of providing instruction to those students. Tuition and fee rates to meet this requirement shall be established by the State Board for Community Colleges.

E. Out of this appropriation, $82,000 and one position the first year and $82,000 and one position the second year from the general fund is designated to enhance the skills of the interpreters for the deaf and hard-of-hearing and to enable them to achieve higher levels of expertise.

F. Out of this appropriation, amounts for the following special programs are designated: at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, the Program for the Deaf, $65,999 and four positions the first year and $65,999 and four positions the second year from the general fund and the Program for the Intellectually Disabled, $93,051 and four positions the first year and $93,051 and four positions the second year from the general fund; and, at New River Community College, the Program for the Deaf, $80,090 and four positions the first year and $80,090 and four positions the second year from the general fund, and the Program for the Intellectually Disabled, $71,250 and 4.5 positions the first year and $71,250 and 4.5 positions the second year from the general fund; and, at Danville Community College, the Program for the Deaf, $26,586 and one position the first year and $26,586 and one position the second year from the general fund.

G. Out of this appropriation, $39,879 the first year and $39,879 the second year from the general fund is designated to support the Southwest Virginia Telecommunications Network.

H. Out of this appropriation, $267,250 and four positions the first year and $267,250 and four positions the second year from the general fund is provided to support Virginia Western Community College's participation in the Roanoke Higher Education Center and the Botetourt County Education and Training Center at Greenfield.

I. Out of this appropriation, $132,929 the first year and $132,929 the second year from the general fund is designated to support the Southwestern Virginia Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center at Wytheville Community College.

J.1. Out of this appropriation, $345,000 the first year and $345,000 the second year from the general fund is provided for the annual lease or rental costs of space in the Botetourt County Education and Training Center at Greenfield.

2. The general fund amounts provided for in this paragraph for workforce training, retraining, programming, and community education facilities at the Botetourt County Education and Training Center shall be matched by local or private sources in a ratio of two-thirds state funds to at least one-third local or private funds, as approved by the State Board for Community Colleges.

K.1. Out of this appropriation, $330,000 the first year and $330,000 the second year from the general fund is provided for the annual lease or rental costs of space in the Virginia Peninsula Workforce Development Center.

2. The general fund amounts provided for in this Item for workforce training, retraining, programming, and community education facilities at the Virginia Peninsula Workforce Development Center shall be matched by local or private sources in a ratio of two-thirds state funds to at least one-third local or private funds, as approved by the State Board for Community Colleges.

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. Out of this appropriation, $196,200 the first year and $196,200 the second year from the general fund shall be provided to Northern Virginia Community College to support public-private sector partnerships in order to maximize the number of newly licensed nurses and increase the supply of nursing faculty.

N. Out of this appropriation, $500,000 the first year and $500,000 the second year from the general fund is designated for Northern Virginia Community College to implement the SySTEMic Solutions initiative which will enable expansion of dual enrollment courses with a STEM focus in all Northern Virginia school districts; opportunities to earn industry-aligned certifications; professional development opportunities for STEM teachers; part-time employment and internship opportunities for students in STEM programs; hands-on SOL-based science lessons at the elementary level with industry input and support; and collaborative robotics programs between the community college and K-12 schools.  It is expected that an equal amount of private funds will be generated as a match for the state support.

O. It is the intent of the General Assembly that 100 percent of the general funds contained in this amendment be allocated to the individual community colleges. As required in paragraph B of this item, the Virginia Community College System shall report to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees by July 1 of each year, on the allocation of these funds, as well as the allocation of all general and nongeneral funds contained in this item by individual community colleges for fiscal years  2015 and 2016.

P.  Out of this appropriation, $20,000 the first year and $20,000 the second year from the general fund shall be provided to Southside Virginia Community College.  Out of this amount, $8,000 each year from the general fund shall be provided to the Estes Community Center in Chase City, $8,000 each year from the general fund shall be provided to the Lake Country Advanced Knowledge Center in South Hill, and $4,000 each year from the general fund shall be provided to the Clarksville Enrichment Complex.

Q. Out of this appropriation, $117,720 the first year and $117,720 the second year from the general fund is provided for the Mecklenburg County Job Retraining Center.

R. Based on the final strategies implemented by the institution to meet its budget reductions required by Chapter 3, 2014 Special Session 1, the institution can adjust any of the amounts embedded in language under this Item to be consistent with those reduction strategies.