High stakes: Where does higher ed stand at midterm?

If the legislative session were an academic semester, Virginia lawmakers would be catching their breath after midterms. And just as students would be sizing up their grades, legislators and others are sizing up the issues.

Legislators faced their midterm exam on Feb. 14 – “crossover day,” the deadline for bills to pass either the House or the Senate. Now, each chamber takes up the other’s legislation. Bills that could not make it out of committee are dead.

Crossover marked the middle of the legislative session, which began on Jan. 11 and ends on March 11. Many higher education initiatives are on the General Assembly’s agenda. So how are colleges and universities faring this session? Here’s a rundown.

Affordability

The state’s colleges and universities say they are facing a $377 million deficit next year. If legislators don’t fill the gap, students will have to – by paying an average of $1,246 more in tuition.

Virginia21, a student advocacy group, called attention to the issue recently by delivering to the General Assembly petitions with more than 12,500 signatures urging lawmakers to fully fund higher education.

Legislators got the message.

The House and Senate on Sunday released their proposed budgets, showing they will lower the deficit by allocating more money for higher ed.

“By next year, the Senate’s budget would cut the $1,246 per-Virginia-student higher-education funding deficit in half, bringing it down to just $641 per student,” said Jesse Ferguson, Virginia21 executive director. “That’s exciting progress, and it’s the kind of action Virginia needs to stay competitive and keep our economy going strong.”

Research funding

Delegate David A. Nutter, R-Christiansburg, has made research funding a top priority this session. Nutter introduced two pieces of proposed legislation aimed at getting colleges research money.

House Joint Resolution 103 proposed the creation of a joint subcommittee to study research potential at colleges. To see what works, the subcommittee would compare Virginia schools with colleges in other states. The joint resolution died in committee, but Nutter’s other piece of proposed legislation about research money survived.

House Bill 925 would create a nonprofit corporation that would help support research. Biological systems and nanotechnology research would be emphasized and the corporation would report on their activities annually. The bill has passed through the House and is being considered by the Senate Education and Health Committee.

Textbook costs

Last year, the General Assembly passed legislation to promote competition in the textbook market. This year, the Legislature is looking specifically at textbook sales.

House Bill 1478, sponsored by Delegate Glenn Oder, R-Newport News, would require the governing boards of colleges to implement policies to address the cost of textbooks. The bill calls for these initiatives:

 Faculty members must submit in a timely manner the list of books they will require.

 If study materials are sold with the textbook, they must also be made available separately.

 Professors must be aware of the price of the text before ordering it.

 Faculty members must limit the use of new editions.

 Sample copies of the text will be made available for students in the library.

 Profits made by university bookstores should benefit the students.

Oder’s bill passed unanimously in the House and is now before the Senate Health and Education Committee.

Illegal aliens

The House and the Senate both have proposed legislation about illegal aliens receiving in-state tuition.

Senate Bill 677 prohibits the governing body of a college from allowing in-state tuition for illegal aliens. However, the bill offers certain exceptions. For example, in-state tuition could be given to those who have lived in Virginia while attending high school or who are actively pursuing legal residency.

House Bill 262 states “that an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible for enrollment in any public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth.”

Both bills have cleared their respective houses and will now enter committee.

Campus safety

A package of bills and budget amendments has the attention of legislators and students. Three legislators are sponsoring the Protect Virginia Students plan: Delegate Phil Hamilton, R-Newport News; Sen. Ken Stolle, R-Virginia Beach; and Sen. Janet Howell, D-Fairfax. The plan was unveiled several weeks ago with the help of Virginia21.

Included in the plan are House Bills 1036 and 346. HB 1036 would require the Department of Criminal Justice Services to create standards for campus security. This would mean specific hiring and training standards for campus security units across Virginia. The House and the Senate have passed this measure.

HB 346 has also been passed by both houses and would require institutions of higher education to report crime statistics making safety and security a high priority.

The proposed budget amendments involved in the Protect Virginia Students plan would create a grant that colleges and universities can use for security equipment. The amendments would also create an Office of College Law Enforcement.

The budgets drafted by the House and the Senate indicate there might be money for the proposed Office of College Law Enforcement. Ferguson said Virginia21 is pleased.

“This new office in the Department of Criminal Justice Services will strengthen campus policing by setting statewide standards for hiring, training and victim response while helping campus police departments share information and ideas,” he said.