HJ910: Commending Northern Virginia Community College.
WHEREAS, Northern Virginia Community College was established as Northern Virginia Technical College in 1964 and began offering classes in 1965; and
WHEREAS, Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) has grown from 761 students to an annual enrollment of over 78,000 students, making it one of the largest community colleges in the United States; and
WHEREAS, NOVA has grown from 46 faculty and staff to 4,260 faculty and staff, and it has expanded to six campuses, three centers, and an online distance learning institute; and
WHEREAS, NOVA’s Extended Learning Institute (distance learning) began in 1975 and has grown to offer more than 400 classes and 40 degrees and certificates to more than 26,000 students annually; and
WHEREAS, NOVA is one of the nation’s most ethnically diverse institutions of higher education, with 60 percent minority students and 16 percent international students; and
WHEREAS, NOVA has become the Commonwealth’s leading minority-serving undergraduate institution, serving more African American students than the state’s two public historically black universities combined; 35 percent of all Latino students and nearly one-third of all Asian undergraduates in Virginia public higher education are enrolled at NOVA; and
WHEREAS, NOVA offers more than 140 associate degree and certificate programs; it has increased from 80 to 6,600 graduates annually, and every year, it is one of the top producers of associate degrees in the United States; and
WHEREAS, more than 25 percent of Northern Virginia public high school graduates enroll at NOVA, which transfers more students to George Mason University, Virginia Commonwealth University, James Madison University, Virginia Tech, and the University of Virginia than any other institution; and
WHEREAS, NOVA has established Guaranteed Admission Agreements with more than 45 four-year colleges and universities in the Commonwealth and around the United States, allowing NOVA graduates to transfer seamlessly to many well-known colleges and universities; and
WHEREAS, NOVA became an Achieving the Dream Leader College, guiding a national effort to increase the number of community college graduates who enter the labor force or transfer to a university to complete a bachelor’s degree; and
WHEREAS, NOVA faculty have received Outstanding Faculty Awards from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia in nine of the last 10 years; and
WHEREAS, NOVA initiated the Commonwealth’s first statewide community college distance learning network, linking 22 community colleges and serving nearly 3,000 students annually, primarily in rural areas, within the first three years; and
WHEREAS, NOVA has instituted a mandatory advising initiative for all first-time-in-college students; guided by first-year advisers, students learn how to plan for and reach their academic goals during their stay at NOVA; and
WHEREAS, NOVA developed Pathway to the Baccalaureate, a college access and baccalaureate completion program serving more than 7,000 students annually from 55 high schools throughout Northern Virginia; and
WHEREAS, NOVA has implemented five mandatory policy changes for first-time-in-college students to improve the intake process and encourage impactful academic practices; in addition, NOVA implemented an on-time registration policy for all students based on research that shows students who attend class from the first day are more successful than students who register late; and
WHEREAS, together with the Northern Virginia Technology Council, six regional chambers of commerce, and eight public school divisions, NOVA launched an initiative to increase Northern Virginia’s supply of students entering careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and as a result, more than 20,000 students are expected to be engaged in one or more SySTEMic Solutions activities by 2015; this initiative received the 2014 Governor’s Award for Science Innovation; and
WHEREAS, NOVA spearheaded a regional initiative with 10 hospitals and five universities to double the number of registered nurses and increase by 50 percent the number of allied health professional and technical graduates in Northern Virginia within five years; and
WHEREAS, NOVA has partnered with six community-based nonprofit organizations to help nearly 1,000 low-income adults annually move from low-wage, part-time employment into jobs with family-sustaining wages; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Northern Virginia Community College on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Northern Virginia Community College as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the college’s many contributions to the Commonwealth.
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 910
Patrons-- Lopez, Bulova, Carr, Cole, Futrell, Greason, Hope, Krupicka, Landes, LaRock, Minchew, Morrissey, Plum, Sullivan, Surovell, Ware and Webert; Senators: Barker, Deeds, Ebbin, Favola, Howell, Petersen, Puller, Vogel, Watkins and Wexton
WHEREAS, Northern Virginia Community College was established as Northern Virginia Technical College in 1964 and began offering classes in 1965; and
WHEREAS, Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) has grown from 761 students to an annual enrollment of over 78,000 students, making it one of the largest community colleges in the United States; and
WHEREAS, NOVA has grown from 46 faculty and staff to 4,260 faculty and staff, and it has expanded to six campuses, three centers, and an online distance learning institute; and
WHEREAS, NOVA’s Extended Learning Institute (distance learning) began in 1975 and has grown to offer more than 400 classes and 40 degrees and certificates to more than 26,000 students annually; and
WHEREAS, NOVA is one of the nation’s most ethnically diverse institutions of higher education, with 60 percent minority students and 16 percent international students; and
WHEREAS, NOVA has become the Commonwealth’s leading minority-serving undergraduate institution, serving more African American students than the state’s two public historically black universities combined; 35 percent of all Latino students and nearly one-third of all Asian undergraduates in Virginia public higher education are enrolled at NOVA; and
WHEREAS, NOVA offers more than 140 associate degree and certificate programs; it has increased from 80 to 6,600 graduates annually, and every year, it is one of the top producers of associate degrees in the United States; and
WHEREAS, more than 25 percent of Northern Virginia public high school graduates enroll at NOVA, which transfers more students to George Mason University, Virginia Commonwealth University, James Madison University, Virginia Tech, and the University of Virginia than any other institution; and
WHEREAS, NOVA has established Guaranteed Admission Agreements with more than 45 four-year colleges and universities in the Commonwealth and around the United States, allowing NOVA graduates to transfer seamlessly to many well-known colleges and universities; and
WHEREAS, NOVA became an Achieving the Dream Leader College, guiding a national effort to increase the number of community college graduates who enter the labor force or transfer to a university to complete a bachelor’s degree; and
WHEREAS, NOVA faculty have received Outstanding Faculty Awards from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia in nine of the last 10 years; and
WHEREAS, NOVA initiated the Commonwealth’s first statewide community college distance learning network, linking 22 community colleges and serving nearly 3,000 students annually, primarily in rural areas, within the first three years; and
WHEREAS, NOVA has instituted a mandatory advising initiative for all first-time-in-college students; guided by first-year advisers, students learn how to plan for and reach their academic goals during their stay at NOVA; and
WHEREAS, NOVA developed Pathway to the Baccalaureate, a college access and baccalaureate completion program serving more than 7,000 students annually from 55 high schools throughout Northern Virginia; and
WHEREAS, NOVA has implemented five mandatory policy changes for first-time-in-college students to improve the intake process and encourage impactful academic practices; in addition, NOVA implemented an on-time registration policy for all students based on research that shows students who attend class from the first day are more successful than students who register late; and
WHEREAS, together with the Northern Virginia Technology Council, six regional chambers of commerce, and eight public school divisions, NOVA launched an initiative to increase Northern Virginia’s supply of students entering careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and as a result, more than 20,000 students are expected to be engaged in one or more SySTEMic Solutions activities by 2015; this initiative received the 2014 Governor’s Award for Science Innovation; and
WHEREAS, NOVA spearheaded a regional initiative with 10 hospitals and five universities to double the number of registered nurses and increase by 50 percent the number of allied health professional and technical graduates in Northern Virginia within five years; and
WHEREAS, NOVA has partnered with six community-based nonprofit organizations to help nearly 1,000 low-income adults annually move from low-wage, part-time employment into jobs with family-sustaining wages; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Northern Virginia Community College on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Northern Virginia Community College as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the college’s many contributions to the Commonwealth.