HJ642: Higher educational institutions; Council of Higher Education in consideration of retaining faculty.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 642
Offered January 10, 2007
Prefiled January 9, 2007
Requesting the State Council of Higher Education to study Virginia’s competitiveness in attracting and retaining faculty for public institutions of higher education.  Report.
Patron-- Nutter

Committee Referral Pending

WHEREAS, a college education is essential in a knowledge-based global economy; and

WHEREAS, increased knowledge and skills result in enhanced employability, higher earning power, career advancement, and a better quality of life; and

WHEREAS, faculty develop and deliver world class educational programs responsive to student needs; and

WHEREAS, faculty expertise enables college graduates to become productive, tax-paying employees for thousands of employers across the Commonwealth, region, and nation; and

WHEREAS, a base budget funding gap of $350 million has greatly diminished the ability of Virginia’s public colleges and universities to effectively respond to an increasingly competitive market for quality faculty; and

WHEREAS, the Council of University Presidents, legislators, and business leaders across the Commonwealth have expressed concerns regarding the impact of funding gaps and budget reductions on the ability of institutions to recruit and retain high quality faculty; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the State Council of Higher Education be requested to study Virginia's competitiveness in attracting and retaining faculty for public institutions of higher education.

In conducting its study, the State Council of Higher Education shall (i) review, analyze, and compare current salary level data, by academic discipline and rank, of each public institution of higher education with current national salary levels; (ii) review, analyze, and compare data pertaining to current retirement options and benefits, health coverage plans, and other benefits for Virginia faculty with comparable national data; (iii) identify best practices for recruiting and retaining high quality faculty; (iv) advise Boards of Visitors, institutional administrative faculty and staff, and the General Assembly regarding the competitiveness of salary levels, retirement benefits, health coverage, and other benefits for Virginia faculty relative to the national norm; and (v) recommend feasible and appropriate alternatives for improving the ability of public institutions of higher education to attract and retain high quality faculty.

Technical assistance shall be provided to the State Council of Higher Education by the General Professional Advisory Committee to the State Council of Higher Education and the staffs of the House Committee on Appropriations and Senate Committee on Finance. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the State Council of Higher Education for this study, upon request.

The State Council of Higher Education shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2007, and shall submit to the Governor and the General Assembly an executive summary and a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summary and report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports no later than the first day of the 2008 Regular Session of the General Assembly and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.