Commission seeks higher ed funding

The governor's education reform group also is tasked with raising how many degrees are awarded

The first meeting of Gov. Bob McDonnell's commission on higher education reform is set for Monday at John Tyler Community College in Midlothian.

The Governor's Commission on Higher Education Reform, Innovation and Investment -- announced shortly after McDonnell took office last year in the wake of a $1.35 billion budget shortfall and a series of funding cuts for public colleges and universities -- is charged to look at new funding models, ways to control costs and other issues.

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling is scheduled to address the commission as it begins its work Monday, Chairman Tom Farrell said.

Bolling heads a separate commission on work force and economic development. McDonnell has asked the two bodies to work together on a new vision for expanding and funding higher education, Farrell said.

Farrell is CEO of Dominion Resources Inc. and a former rector of the University of Virginia Board of Visitors. He also has served on the board of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the public body that oversees Virginia's colleges and universities.

Farrell praised McDonnell's choices for the 34-member education commission as "a good mix" of education officials, legislators and policymakers and industry leaders. Members include Virginia Tech President Charles Steger, Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell and former U.S. Attorney General William Barr.

In addition to the funding issues, McDonnell has charged the commission to boost the number of college degrees awarded annually and create closer relationships between public universities and research and economic-development entities.

"There will be a lot of ideas floated," Farrell said. "We'll sift through those and try to come up with the ones that make the most sense for Virginia."

The governor also has asked the commission to investigate ways to increase the number of science, technology, engineering and mathematics degrees offered across the system to ease shortages of highly trained workers and help Virginia companies compete in the global marketplace.

"We appreciate this initiative by the governor to commission a holistic view of Virginia higher education, particularly looking at ways in which the state's investment in higher ed can be leveraged for future job growth and economic development," Steger said.

The commission is expected to issue its recommendations in November, Deputy Secretary of Education Laura Fornash said.

Fornash is the staff liaison to the commission and a former state government lobbyist for Virginia Tech. She managed Tech's implementation of the 2005 Virginia Higher Education Restructuring Act, which loosened state restrictions and red tape for public universities in exchange for more accountability on measures such as access, affordability and student retention.

As the economy and state revenues continue to stall, finding innovative ways to fund higher education has become more important for taxpayers and students.

According to the Virginia State Council for Higher Education, the state's 2011 contribution to instruction and operations at its 39 public institutions is expected to be $1.3 billion. Appropriations are expected to drop to $1.1 billion the following year, SCHEV spokeswoman Kirsten Nelson wrote in an e-mail.

To offset continuing state cuts, most institutions have raised tuition. Incoming Tech freshmen will pay about 10 percent more this fall, while Virginia Commonwealth University students will see a 24 percent increase.

This is not the first time a governor has looked to overhaul funding for public colleges and universities. Former Gov. Jim Gilmore appointed a similar Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education in 1998 as one of his first acts in office.

For a full list of the McDonnell commission members, visit tinyurl.com/3y2sjg7.