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.

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, $110,097 and one position the first year and $110,097 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, $84,097 and four positions the first year and $84,097 and four positions the second year from the general fund and the Program for the Mentally Retarded, $118,566 and four positions the first year and $118,566 and four positions the second year from the general fund; and, at New River Community College, the Program for the Deaf, $102,051 and four positions the first year and $102,051 and four positions the second year from the general fund, and the Program for the Mentally Retarded, $90,788 and 4.5 positions the first year and $90,788 and 4.5 positions the second year from the general fund; and, at Danville Community College, the Program for the Deaf, $46,580 and one position the first year and $46,580 and one position the second year from the general fund.

G. Out of this appropriation, $50,814 the first year and $50,814 the second year from the general fund is designated to support the Southwest Virginia Telecommunications Network.

H.1. Out of this appropriation, $211,725 the first year and $211,725 the second year from the general fund is designated for the A. L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership at Patrick Henry Community College.

2. Out of this appropriation, $296,415 the first year and $296,415 the second year from the general fund is designated for the A. L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership at Patrick Henry Community College for an ongoing match for a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce to develop a manufacturer assistance program covering most of Virginia.

I. Out of this appropriation, $340,533 and four positions the first year and $340,533 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.

J. Out of this appropriation, $169,380 the first year and $169,380 the second year from the general fund is designated to support the Southwestern Virginia Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center at Wytheville Community College.

K. It is the intent of the General Assembly that noncredit business and industry work-related training courses and programs offered by community colleges be funded at a ratio of 30 percent from the general fund and 70 percent from nongeneral funds. Out of this appropriation, $846,900 in the first year and $846,900 in the second year from the general fund is designated for this purpose. These funds may be combined with funds of $317,588 the first year and $317,588 the second year already included in the Virginia Community College System budget for the "Virginia Works" program. The funds will be allocated by formula to all colleges based on the number of individuals served by non-credit activities.

L.1. As recommended by House Joint Resolution No. 622 (1997), the Joint Subcommittee to Study Noncredit Education for Workforce Training in the Commonwealth, the Virginia Community College System is directed to establish one or more Institutes of Excellence responsible for development of statewide training programs to meet current, high demand workforce needs of the Commonwealth. Out of this appropriation, at least $846,900 the first year and $846,900 the second year from the general fund is available to support the Institutes of Excellence.

2. Under the guidance of the Virginia Workforce Council, authorized in Title 2.2, Chapter 26, Article 25, Code of Virginia, the Virginia Community College System shall submit to the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees by November 4 of each year a report detailing the financing, activities, accomplishments and plans for the Institutes of Excellence and the four workforce development centers, and outcomes of the appropriations for 23 workforce coordinators and for non-credit training. The report shall include, but not be limited to:

a. performance measures to be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the workforce coordinators at all 23 colleges;

b. detailed information on number of students trained, employers served and courses offered; the types of certifications awarded; and the participation by local governments and the public or private sector, and other data relevant to the activities of the four regional workforce development centers;

c. the number of students trained, employers served and courses offered through noncredit instruction, and the amounts of local government, public or private sector funding used to match this appropriation; and

d. the amount or percentage of private and public funding contributed for the institutes' programming and operating needs; the number of private and public partnerships involved in the institutes' programming; the number of faculty and colleges affected by the institutes' programming; and performance measures to be used to evaluate the sharing or broadcasting of information and new/improved/updated curricula to other Virginia Community College campuses.

M. Out of this appropriation, $1,291,523 and 23 positions the first year and $1,291,523 and 23 positions the second year from the general fund is provided for staff who will be responsible for coordinating workforce training in the campus service area. The staff will work with local business and industry to determine training needs, coordinate with local economic development personnel, the local workforce training council, and other providers. It is the General Assembly's intent that the Virginia Community College System maximize these positions by encouraging funding matches at the local level.

N. Out of this appropriation, $508,140 and four positions the first year and $508,140 and four positions the second year from the general fund is provided for four workforce training centers: the Peninsula Workforce Development Center (Thomas Nelson Community College), $84,690 and one position the first year and $84,690 and one position the second year; the Regional Center for Applied Technology Training (Danville Community College), $169,380 and one position the first year and $169,380 and one position the second year; a Workforce Development Center at Paul D. Camp Community College, $169,380 and one position the first year and $169,380 and one position the second year; and the Central Virginia Manufacturing Technology Training Center in the Lynchburg area, $84,690 and one position the first year and $84,690 and one position the second year. Each center shall provide a 25 percent match prior to the release of state funding.

O.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.

P.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.

Q. This appropriation includes $885,306 the first year and $397,676 the second year from the general fund for the sixth and seventh of nine annual payments for the lease-purchase of furnishings and equipment totaling $4,500,000 for the Medical Education Campus of Northern Virginia Community College, the Advanced Technology Building of Tidewater Community College, and the Virginia Peninsula Workforce Development Center of Thomas Nelson Community College. Annual payments in years eight and nine are expected to be $56,398 and $10,148, respectively.

R.1.  Out of this appropriation, $150,000 the first year and $150,000 the second year from the general fund is designated for Tidewater Community College to support an apprenticeship program for Virginia's shipyard workers.

2. All general fund amounts appropriated for this apprenticeship program shall be used to provide scholarships to shipyard workers enrolled in the program. The conditions for receiving a scholarship shall be those conditions described in § 23-220.01, Code of Virginia.

S.  Out of this appropriation, $200,000 the first year and $200,000 the second year from the general fund is provided for the development of educational programs in modeling and simulation technology as part of the Virginia Modeling and Simulation Initiative (VIMSIM).

T. Out of this appropriation, $100,000 from the general fund and $100,000 from nongeneral funds the first year and $100,000 from the general fund and $100,000 from nongeneral funds the second year is provided for the Heavy Equipment Operator program at Southside Virginia Community College.

U.1.  Out of this appropriation, $300,000 the first year from the general fund is provided as state match for the creation of an off-campus center in the Town of Amherst.

2. Any unexpended balances provided for the purpose stated in paragraph U.1. shall be carried forward into fiscal year 2008. These balances shall continue to be used as a state match for the creation of an off-campus center in the Town of Amherst.

V.  Out of this appropriation, $500,000 the first year from the general fund is provided for the Southside Virginia Education Center for the Assembly Commons building adjacent to the main Workforce Development Center in Greensville County.

W.  Out of this appropriation, $150,000 the first year and $150,000 the second year from the general fund is provided for the Mecklenburg County Job Retraining Center.

X.  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.

Y. Out of this appropriation, $781,584 the second year from the general fund is provided to increase the average salary of nursing faculty by 10 percent, effective November 25, 2007.  This additional funding will help to attract and retain nursing faculty that are needed to address a shortage of nurses in the Commonwealth.