Governor Robert McDonnell established the “Governor’s Commission on Higher Education Reform, Innovation and Investment” formed through Executive Order No. 9 in March, 2010, shortly after his inauguration the preceding January. The Commission began meetings in July 2010 and issued an interim report in December 2010. The Higher Education Opportunity Act was passed by the 2011 General Assembly and is based on the Commission’s recommendation in their interim report.
The purpose of the Act is to significantly increase college attainment with a goal of 100,000 new undergraduate degrees by 2025. The Act also seeks to address basic operational and instructional funding, per-student enrollment funding, need-based financial aid, targeted economic and innovation incentives, a higher education “Rainy Day” fund, institutional six-year plans, and increasing high demand degrees through public-private partnerships. As the coordinating body for the Commonwealth’s institutions of higher education, SCHEV will be instrumental in implementing policies to achieve these goals.
Much of this work will be informed by the Restructured Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operations Act of 2005 (Restructuring Act) which provided public colleges and universities with more operational and administrative autonomy in exchange for a renewed commitment to their public missions.
The Restructuring Act provided a set of basic operational autonomy for all institutions and specified that tuition and fee responsibility reside with the institution Boards of Visitors. The Restructuring Act required a formal commitment by the Boards of Visitors to the “state asks.” Institutions earn financial incentives based on meeting performance standards. In addition, there are opportunities for greater institutional autonomy through “memoranda of understanding” and “management agreements.”
The institution Boards of Visitors committed to 12 state goals – “state asks” – by formal resolution in 2005:
- Access
- Affordability
- Academic offerings
- Academic standards
- Student progress and success
- Articulation and dual enrollment
- Economic development
- Research
- Enhancing K12
- Six-year plans
- Finance and administrative
- Campus safety and security
Institutions are classified into one of three levels of financial and administrative operational authority. All institutions enter Level I authority as a result of the Boards of Visitors resolution in 2005. Level I institutions receive minimum operational authority.
Level II criteria were established by the 2008 General Assembly. Level II institutions receive additional authority in two of three areas – capital outlay, information technology, and procurement. Institutions enter Level II through a “memorandum of understanding” with the Governor and, respective cabinet Secretaries. Memoranda of understanding were signed with George Mason University, James Madison University, Old Dominion University, Radford University, and Virginia Military Institute in 2008.
The highest level of financial and administrative operational authority is granted to a select group of institutions through a “management agreement” between the institution’s Board of Visitors, the Governor, and the General Assembly. Level III institutions have operational authority in the areas of capital outlay, information technology, procurement, human resources, and finance. The College of William and Mary, the University of Virginia, and Virginia Tech signed management agreements in 2005 which were approved by the 2006 General Assembly. Virginia Commonwealth University’s management agreement was approved by the 2008 General Assembly.
Virginia Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011
The Virginia Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011
Restructured Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operations Act
Restructuring Act - 2006 Amendment
Restructuring Act - 2009 Amendment
Management Agreement for Virginia Commonwealth University - 2008
Eligibility for restructured financial and administrative operational authority
§ 23-38.88 Code of Virginia
Level II Memoranda of understanding
§ 23-38.90 Code of Virginia outlining requirements for Level II institutions
Management Agreements
§ 23-38.97 through § 23-38.121 Code of Virginia outlining institutional authority under management agreements
Goals of the Restructuring Act
These are the 12 goals of the Restructured Higher Education and Administration Act.
Council Briefings and Actions
May 16, 2011 – Action on Assessment of Institutional Performance
Agenda, Minutes
October 26, 2010 – Action on Institutional Performance Standards Targets
Agenda, Minutes
May 18, 2010 – Action on Assessment of Institutional Performance
Agenda, Minutes
January 12, 2010 – Action on Proposed Measures for Longwood University – Level II
Agenda
October 27, 2009 – Action on Recommendations from the Restructuring Subcommittee
Agenda, Minutes
July 14, 2009 – Action on Enrollment Targets and Estimates of Degree Awards at Public Institutions
Agenda, Minutes
June 8-9, 2009 – Certification of Institutions Under Restructuring
Agenda, Minutes - June 8, Minutes - June 9
May 12, 2009 – Action on Certification of Institutions Under Restructuring and Action on Proposed Measures for Institutions Seeking Level II
Agenda, Minutes
January 6, 2009 – Action on Institutional Performance Standards (IPS) Targets
Agenda, Minutes
October 21, 2008 – Action on Recommendations from the Restructuring Task Force
Agenda, Minutes
May 13, 2008 – Certification of Institutions Under Restructuring and Institutional Performance Standards (IPS) Measures
Agenda, Minutes
March 10, 2008 – Update on Restructuring
Agenda, Minutes
May 8, 2007 – Action on Certification of Institutions Under Restructuring
Agenda, Minutes
November 13, 2006 – Action on Institutional Performance Standards
Agenda, Minutes
September 30, 2005 – Action on Standards for Institutional Certification and Action on Guidelines for Assessments of Institutional Performance
Agenda, Minutes
Restructuring Subcommittee
May 5, 2011
Agenda
October 6, 2010
Agenda, Minutes
August 17, 2010
Agenda, Minutes
April 21, 2010
Agenda, Minutes
January 11, 2010
Agenda, Minutes
December 1, 2009
Agenda, Minutes
September 15, 2009
Minutes
September 10, 2009
Minutes
August 4, 2009
Agenda
2011 Six-Year Plans
2011 Six-Year Plans Overview
Christopher Newport University
College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary - Virginia Institute of Marine Science
George Mason University
James Madison University
Longwood University
Norfolk State University
Old Dominion University
Radford University
Richard Bland College
University of Mary Washington
University of Virginia
University of Virginia College at Wise
Virginia Community College System
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Logistics Research Center
Virginia Military Institute
Virginia State University
Virginia State University – Cooperative Extension and Agriculture Research Station
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech – Virginia Cooperative Extension and Agriculture Experiment Station
Presentations
Higher Education Opportunity Act Measuring Performance Next Steps - November 7, 2011
Opportunity Act: Targeted Economic and Innovation Incentives Funding - October 24, 2011
Transitioning from the Restructuring Act to the Opportunity Act - June 30, 2011
Restructuring: A Review - May 17, 2011
Institutional Performance Standards - April 23, 2010
Institutional Certification - May 12, 2009
Restructuring Overview - April 8, 2009
Higher Education Restructuring – December 6, 2007
Higher Education and the Public Good – August 15, 2007
Restructuring Act: Implementing Change in Virginia – April 20, 2007
Back to Top »Institution Web Sites
The College of William and Mary
Institutional Performance Standards (IPS)
Preliminary Review of Assessment of Institutional Performance for 2011 – March 22, 2011
Assessment of Institutional Performance - 2010
Assessment of Institutional Performance - 2009
Assessment of Institutional Performance Under Goal 11 - 2008
Cost of Attendance and Income - Summary
Cost of Attendance and Income - Detail
Council Certification Action - 2009
Final Review of Benchmarks and Targets of the Institutional Performance Standards (2006)
Back to Top »Virginia Reports and Links
Compliance Review of Initial Management Agreement between the State and Virginia Commonwealth University: Report, Briefing
SCHEV UPDATE - Special Meeting: The State of Virginia Public Higher Education - July, 2009
Two-Year Review of Initial Higher Education Management Agreements – Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLRAC) – November 10, 2008:
Report, Briefing
Restructuring Update - February 2, 2008
Virginia Secretary of Education
Governor McDonnell’s Higher Education Commission
Back to Top »External Reports and Links
Checks and Balances at Work: The Restructuring of Virginia’s Public Higher Education System
The Politics of Restructuring Higher Education in Virginia: A Case Study
The Politics of Restructuring Higher Education in Virginia: A Case Study (ERIC)
First Detailed Look at Virginia Higher Education Restructuring Act Released
Matching Virginia Higher Education’s Strengths with the Commonwealth’s Needs
Ready to Assemble: A Model State higher Education Accountability System
International Case Study: USA – State of Virginia
Back to Top »
Quick Links
- Virginia Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011
- Restructured H.E. Financial and Administrative Operations Act
- Council Briefings and Actions
- Restructuring Subcommittee
- 2012 Six-Year Plans
- 2011 Six-Year Plans
- Presentations
- Institution Web sites
- Institutional Performance
Standards (IPS) - Virginia Reports and Links
- External Reports and Links
- Innovation in Higher Education