HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 735 Offered January 10, 2007 Prefiled January 10, 2007 Commending Virginia State University on the occasion of its 125th anniversary. ---------- Patron-- Dance ----------

WHEREAS, Virginia State University, located overlooking the Appomattox River in the Town of Ettrick in Chesterfield County, will celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2007; and

WHEREAS, Virginia State University (VSU) was founded on March 6, 1882, as the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, making it the first fully state-supported four-year institution of higher learning for Black Americans and one of Virginia’s two land-grant institutions; and

WHEREAS, since its humble beginnings, Virginia State University has responded to the needs of Virginians as a dynamic institution offering an accessible, affordable, and excellent education; and

WHEREAS, with an enrollment of nearly 5,000, VSU students live and attend classes on a beautiful 236-acre main campus with more than 50 buildings, including 15 dormitories, 16 classroom buildings, and a 416-acre agricultural research facility; and

WHEREAS, the first president of Virginia State University was John Mercer Langston, who became the first African American elected to Congress from Virginia; and

WHEREAS, Virginia State University has an exemplary staff of dedicated and outstanding professors, who are committed to offering their students the personal attention that may not be extended at larger institutions; and

WHEREAS, Virginia State University's academic programs include the Bridges to Baccalaureate program for students transferring from two-year colleges who want to major in the sciences, the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program for students planning to pursue doctoral degrees in their chosen field of study, and the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge; and

WHEREAS, Virginia State University offers 47 baccalaureate and master’s degree programs within its five schools—the School of Agriculture, School of Business, School of Engineering, Science, and Technology, School of Liberal Arts and Education, and the School of Graduate Studies, Research, and Outreach—a Certificate of Advanced Study may also be earned from each school; and

WHEREAS, honors scholarships are available to entering VSU freshmen, including the Presidential and Provost Scholarships; and

WHEREAS, in 2003, Virginia State University introduced its first doctoral program and 12 enthusiastic students enrolled in the new Doctor of Education in Administration and Supervision program; and

WHEREAS, in 2005, Virginia State University began a vital new nursing degree program, an important initiative that will train nurses to meet the urgent demand for qualified medical professionals in the hospitals and clinics of the Southside region of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Outreach allows students, often working adults, with diverse professional and educational backgrounds to more conveniently continue their education on a full-time or part-time basis; the school also provides workshops, seminars, as well as credit courses on campus and at sites in Richmond, Emporia, Petersburg, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Henrico, and other Southside Virginia locations; and

WHEREAS, Virginia State University has a long and rich history and has grown and changed considerably since 1882, and it continues that growth today, enriching individual lives, the surrounding community, and the Commonwealth through excellent teaching and innovative and engaging programs of study; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend and congratulate Virginia State University on the occasion of its 125th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Eddie N. Moore, Jr., president of Virginia State University, as an expression of the General Assembly’s gratitude for the university's commitment to higher education and longtime service to the citizens of the Commonwealth.