Thank you for your participation in last week's kickoff webinar for the 2017 Enrollment Projections and Degree Estimates. We've completed two of the optional training webinars with two more scheduled next week. If the process and calendar seems long to you, you're not wrong. It is long, but this is the way it has naturally evolved over the last three cycles. This has happened in part because of the emphasis on the six-year plans but also because of the degree award goals developed over the same timeframe. 

Given the article a couple of weeks ago in the Times-Dispatch about my report to GPAC (the public college presidents)  and following weekend's editorial, there is additional interest in trying to understand what is happening with enrollment. There are also related questions about looking anew at first-time in college students by family income. So expect to see a few more data products along those lines.

HB 1664 - VLDS - is up for its third reading and final vote in the Senate.

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; collection and publication of wage data and the Virginia Longitudinal Data System.Authorizes the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (Council) to publish data on the proportion of graduates of each public institution of higher education and each nonprofit private institution of higher education eligible to participate in the Tuition Assistance Grant Program who are employed at 18 months and five years after the date of graduation. The bill directs that the data include the program and the program level, as recognized by the Council, for each degree awarded by each institution; the percentage of graduates known to be employed in the Commonwealth; the average salary and the average higher education-related debt for the graduates on which the data is based; rates of enrollment in remedial coursework for each institution; individual student credit accumulation for each institution; rates of postsecondary degree completion; and any other information that the Council determines is necessary to address adequate preparation for success in postsecondary education and alignment between secondary and postsecondary education. The bill requires each such institution of higher education to provide a link to such published postsecondary education and employment data.

The bill also requires the Council to administer the Virginia Longitudinal Data System as a multiagency partnership for the purposes of developing educational, health, social service, and employment outcome data; improving the efficacy of state services; and aiding decision making.

HB 1662 - Dual Enrollment is up for its second reading in the Senate.

Public institutions of higher education; general education course credit; dual enrollment courses. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), in consultation with each public institution of higher education, to establish a policy for granting undergraduate general education course credit to any entering freshman student who has successfully completed a dual enrollment course. The bill requires SCHEV and each public institution of higher education to make the policy available to the public on their websites.

HB 2262 - Online Virginia Network Authority - Reported from Senate Finance with substitute, up for second reading.

Online Virginia Network Authority established. Establishes the Online Virginia Network Authority (the Authority) as a political subdivision of the Commonwealth for the purpose of establishing the Online Virginia Network to coordinate the online delivery of courses that facilitate the completion of degrees at George Mason University and Old Dominion University. The bill requires the Authority to be governed by a 17-member board that consists of five members of the House of Delegates appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, four members of the Senate appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, three nonlegislative citizen members appointed by the Governor, one nonlegislative citizen member appointed by the board of visitors of George Mason University, one nonlegislative citizen member appointed by the board of visitors of Old Dominion University, the President of George Mason University, the President of Old Dominion University, and the Director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. The bill sets forth several duties of the Authority and grants the Authority operational flexibility in the areas of procurement and information technology, provided that the Authority adopts and complies with certain policies.

The list of legislation that SCHEV is tracking is below.