Higher Education Advocacy Day

Published in the Virginia Gazette

University Professors Get Lobbying Lesson

By Laura Peters
Capital News Service

RICHMOND – Faculty members from colleges and universities across Virginia converged Thursday on the Capitol to urge legislators to support higher education.

During Higher Education Advocacy Day, hosted by Virginia Commonwealth University, about a dozen of professors visited with lawmakers and urged them to protect higher ed from more state budget cuts.

“A large issue for us is funding in the state,” said Ernie Ackermann, a computer science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg. “Over the past few years, the state funding for higher education has decrease, I think, 24 percent.”

Ackermann said Virginia ranks poorly among the states in higher education funding.

“In the Southern region, we’re dead last,” he said. “We want to see if we can stop that trend.”
The day’s events began with a meeting that included officials from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, which oversees public colleges and universities.

For VCU, key points in legislation this session include funding, financial aid, compensation for faculty and staff. According to the VCU’s Office of Government Relations, SCHEV adopted a resolution marking student financial aid as a top priority for the 2010-2012 budget and are trying to get an increase of $19.9 million for the 2011 year.

Also, according to the website, nearly 70 percent of VCU students use financial assistance in some way.

Brian Turner, a member of the American Association of University Professors, helped prepare the faculty members to meet one-on-one with legislators.

“It is important for the members of the General Assembly to know who we are,” said Turner, a political science professor at Randolph Macon College. “We are not just part of SCHEV; we are individuals.”

Kirsten Nelson, the communication and government relations director for SCHEV, said visiting each legislator’s office is like going trick-or-treating.

“Talk about your successful students,” Nelson said. “Talk about how you’re contributing to Virginia.”

Raymond Jirran has been retired for 12 years from Thomas Nelson Community College has been attending the Higher Education Advocacy Day for eight years. His primary focus this legislative session is the budget.

“They won’t be able to pay our retirement, so that’s my alarm,” Jirran said.

Jirran said he planned to speak with Sens. R. Edward Houck of Spotsylvania and John Miller of Newport News and Delegate Watkins Abbitt of Appomattox. Jirran also shares a close relationship with Delegate Tom Gear of Hampton.

“My closest relationship is to Delegate Gear. He’s part of my Lion’s Club; his chief of staff is a former student of mine,” Jirran said.

Jirran said it’s important that faculty members understand what is happening at the Capitol.

“The real thing that’s happening here,” he said, “is the faculty themselves is grasping what’s going on.”

Dan LaVista, the Executive Director of SCHEV, said the overall budget for education is $85 million for the year. Within that, only $4 million goes to scholarships and financial aid, according to LaVista. The day before Higher Education Advocacy Day, the General Assembly convened for a two-month session to write a state budget. Lawmakers must find $4 billion to balance the budget.

Selected General Assembly Pre-filed Bills Discussed at Meeting

Faculty Related

HB 32: Possession of concealed handguns by faculty members at state institutions of higher education-Allows full-time faculty members of state institutions of higher education who possess a valid Virginia concealed handgun permit to carry a concealed handgun on campus.

Student-Related

HB 146: Child support-Provides that child support may be ordered for a child attending an institution of higher learning until the child obtains an undergraduate degree or reaches the age of 23.

Capital Projects

HB 41, SB 15: Bonds-Authorizes the Treasury Board to issue bonds in an amount up to $206,870,000 plus financing costs to finance revenue-producing capital projects at institutions of higher education.

Sustainability

SB 109: Green Public Buildings Act-Requires executive branch agencies and institutions entering the design phase for construction of a new building with certain requirements to conform to the LEED Silver or Green Globes two globe standard.

Revenue-related

SB 166: Community College Scholarship Match Program-Establishes the Community College Scholarship Match Program to provide matching funds to community college foundations and the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education.