Virginia Administrative Code
Title 8 - EDUCATION
Agency 95 - STATE BOARD FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 9, December 18, 2023
AGENCY SUMMARY
The Virginia Community College System was established by statute in 1966 to create a new approach to providing educational opportunity. A key concern was Virginia's ability to develop a skilled and knowledgeable workforce to expand the states economy and give every Virginian the opportunity to gain a quality education. Through the system, twenty-three Virginia community colleges on 40 campuses deliver quality higher education and workforce training throughout the state, with programs and courses to serve the distinct demands of every region.
The State Board for Community Colleges is the governing body of the Virginia Community College System. The board's responsibilities include:
1. Preparing and administering a plan of standards and policies to establish, develop, administer, and supervise the community colleges. A principal objective of this plan is to ensure that appropriate educational opportunities and excellent curricula are available throughout the state.
2. Controlling and spending funds, both state appropriations and awards from outside public and private entities, and establishing tuition fees and charges.
3. Conferring diplomas, certificates, and associate's degrees.
4. Establishing policies for creating and operating a community college board for each community college, which helps determine local educational needs and enlist community involvement and support.
5. Communicating with the Governor, General Assembly, Secretary of Education, and officials of other agencies and higher education organizations about issues that affect the community colleges mission, policies, programs, and funding.
6. Promulgating necessary rules and regulations for carrying out the purposes of Chapter 16 of Title 23 of the Code of Virginia.
The Virginia Community College System is the state agency with primary responsibility for coordinating workforce training at the postsecondary to the associate degree level, exclusive of the career and technical education programs provided through and administered by the public school system. This responsibility does not preclude other agencies from also providing such services as appropriate, but all activities are coordinated with the community colleges.
Through the Virginia Community College System, the community colleges (i) maximize noncredit course offerings made available to business and industry at a time and place that meet current and projected workforce needs and minimize the cost of noncredit offerings to business and industry to the extent feasible, (ii) deal directly with employers in designing and offering courses to meet real, current, and projected workforce training needs, and (iii) maximize the availability and use of distance learning courses addressing workforce training needs. The Virginia Community College System reports on actions taken to meet its statutory obligation in its annual report to the General Assembly on workforce development activities required by the appropriation act.
Regulations may be obtained from the Virginia Community College System, 101 North 14th Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Internet address: http://www.vccs.edu/.
Posted 1/2013
