2008 Key State Legislative Priorities

Faculty, staff, students, and alumni are encouraged to contact their respective House of Delegates and Senate of Virginia members to inform them how the key legislative priorities will further the academic and health care missions of VCU and the VCU Health System.  For your convenience, click here for a link to contact information for your elected representatives.  For a reminder of guidelines for taking public policy positions or offering public comments, please click here.

VCU has two major state legislative priorities for the upcoming General Assembly session that convenes in January 2008.

School of Medicine Building. VCU proposes to establish a state-of-the-art training hub for medical students, residents, physicians, and other healthcare providers on the site of A. D. Williams Clinic. Existing facilities for the VCU School of Medicine are outdated and in need of replacement. Renovation costs, under current asbestos abatement, energy, and building code standards, is estimated to be as much as 77% of new construction. VCU will work with the Governor, state officials and the General Assembly to identify funding sources that will provide at least $70 million of this $158 million project. The remaining funds will be secured from private and non-general fund sources. For additional information on the VCU 2008-10 Biennial Budget Request, please click here. For a presentation on the Medical Education and Critical Simulation Building, please click here.

In addition, VCU considers the following ongoing legislative priorities paramount to the future success of the University:

Higher Education Restructuring Act. Virginia Commonwealth University is seeking Tier 3 status under the Higher Education Restructuring Act. Tier 3 status grants universities the highest level of operational flexibility in six primary areas: Capital Outlay and Real Property, Leases, Information Technology, Procurement, Human Resources, Financial Policies and Accounting. Governor Kaine has approved the management agreement, and VCU will work during the General Assembly session to secure legislative approval.

Base Adequacy Funding.  The General Assembly’s base adequacy funding model is used to identify the appropriate state funding level for each Virginia college and university.  The formula takes into consideration a number of factors, including enrollment growth, credit hours, and complexity of programs.  During the past two biennial budget cycles, the Governor and General Assembly have made a significant down payment on this funding shortfall.  Nevertheless, based on the legislative formula, VCU continues to be the Commonwealth’s most underfunded institution.  We will work with state decision-makers to maintain the current level of funding and promote a significant increase during the development of the 2008-2010 state budget.

Faculty and Staff Compensation.  Compensation for faculty and staff continues to be a high priority for VCU.  In order to improve morale, retain valuable employees and to attract high-quality personnel to VCU’s workforce, annual salary increases and benefits for faculty and staff are essential.  We will work with the General Assembly for additional funding for pay raises during the 2008-10 budget cycle in order to preserve competitive salaries with our peer institutions.   

Financial Aid.  An increase of need-based financial aid for in-state undergraduate students continues to be a high priority for VCU.  Nearly 70 percent of VCU students utilize some form of financial assistance.  Approximately 40 percent of VCU students are the first in their families to attend college.  Additional funding is critically important for these students from working families in Virginia to succeed in their academic and professional goals.

If you have questions, contact Don Gehring (dcgehrin@vcu.edu) or Mark Smith (mesmith@vcu.edu). Our office phone number is: 804-828-1235.