Germanna Community College News Blog

Germanna student takes online courses in Iraq, bringing new meaning to 'distance learning'

2009-12-21T18:27:00.000-08:00

For an American contractor thousands of miles away in Iraq, taking Germanna Community College classes online really is "distance learning"
Matthew Strickland, a Germanna student from Spotsylvania, is getting closer to earning his associate's degree online while he works for a private contractor providing support for the U.S. effort in Iraq.

He took a story genre literature class in the Fall, and his experiences in the Middle East might be expected to provide fodder if he eventually writes some himself.

"I joined the Army when I was 17, so I was unable to attend college in the traditional way," Strickland said from Iraq after completing an exam online last week. "I began my career with the 25th Infantry Division, and being in the infantry it was difficult trying to find time to take classes--especially after 9/11 hit. Since then I have been slowly chipping away at my degree in business administration, mostly online, because since both of the wars started, I've spent a lot of time in either Afghanistan or Iraq."

Cheryl Huff, who taught an online Introduction to Short Story Writing class that Strickland took this semester, said: "He's a wonderful student, though I worried everytime I heard of a bombing or shootings in Iraq."

"But his work is very high quality and I have really enjoyed having him in the class, contributing. I've been flexible because of the circumstances, but he is very conscientious."

Strickland said he appreciated the personal attention and understanding.

"I thank Germanna and its staff very much for allowing those of us who are unable to attend classes on campus the opportunity to further our education. These days especially, it is important to have a high level of education, and a degree is a must in today's job market.

"My grandfather was in World War II and his life in the states was basically on hold until he returned from the war.

"These days that is not the case. Thanks to schools like Germanna we can continue to better ourselves through distance learning and not fall behind our peers.

"I've attended a few different online schools and Germanna's distance learning program is by far the best. All of my professors have been very supportive and flexible. They've understood that there are times that I don't have internet access and they have always been fair."

Strickland also has to devote time to talking to and writing to his family. "I'm married and have children, so distance learning helps me balance work, family time, and allows me to complete my coursework at my leisure." His wife Maria also attends Germanna and will be starting the registered nurse program soon. "She also loves the flexibility that Germanna offers," he said. "She is the most wonderful woman I know, she is even busier than me but still is able to further her education thanks to Germanna. We help each other out and motivate each other, I would definitely not be as successful without her."

"Germanna," he said, "is hands down the best institution for distance learning."

Germanna's Certified Nurse Aid program 'a wonderful way to start and build the basics and go from there'

2009-12-14T19:18:00.000-08:00

GCC Certified Nurse Aid program helps students into entry level health care jobs in a matter of weeks ...

Germanna Community College's Dr. Zoila Ortega, RN, talks about the college's rapidly growing CNA program, which provides an inexpensive and fast track to a health care career. Click here for video.

Despite recession, Germanna employees double their contributions to charity over 2008 total

2009-12-14T19:08:00.000-08:00

Hard times don't deter Germanna Community College employees from increasing charitable giving ...

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Shrugging off the impact of the recession, Germanna employees more than doubled the amount pledged to the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign, compared to 2008. GCC employees pledged $7,712.00. Nearly $1,000 of that total was designated to the Germanna Educational Foundation. Since 1997, state employees have raised over $25 million for over 1,300 charities through the campaign.
"Despite challenging times, Germanna faculty and staff have once again demonstrated their extraordinary commitment to the students and communities we serve," said Michael Catell, Director of the Germanna Educational Foundation and Alumni Relations. "Thank you very much!"

Previewing new jobs plan, president calls community colleges "America's most underappreciated asset"

2009-12-04T12:10:00.000-08:00

In speech today, Obama says community colleges are key to retooling America's economy for long-term prosperity ... click below to watch video

Speaking at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Allentown, Pa. on Friday, Dec. 4, President Obama touted the decline in unemployment and said that community colleges like Germanna, which offer affordable, accessible degrees and job training, will play an important role in his plan to turn the economy around.

Monday Job Fair at Germanna's Daniel Center in Culpeper could attract thousands of job-seekers

2009-11-18T22:08:00.000-08:00

Forty employers will talk to prospective hires about jobs Monday at Germanna's Daniel Center

U.S. Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-7th, will hold a job fair in Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Germanna Community College's Daniel Center in Culpeper. About 40 employers will be available to talk to prospective employees. A job fair in Chesterfield County in August drew more than 3,200 people, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. The event is open to the all job-seekers, not just students

Germanna to help area unemployed and underemployed find work with free Job Resource Fair

2009-11-16T19:03:00.001-08:00

Just walk in and get free job-hunting advice from experts at Tuesday Nov. 17's Germanna Job Resource Fair ...

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Germanna Community College's Center for Workforce & Community Education will be bringing together state and local experts to provide the unemployed and underemployed free advice on maximizing their chances of landing a job.

There will be free seminars and workshops at the Germanna Job Resource Fair from 8 am to 5 pm on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at GCC's Fredericksburg Campus in Spotsylvania near Cosner's Corner.

Virginia Department of Business Assistance & Germanna Community College

Employment Resource Fair

Tuesday, Nov. 17

All morning sessions open to walk-ins, free of charge

8:00 AM

Coffee, Networking, and Resource Tables

8:30 AM - 8:45 AM Welcome, Dr. Jeanne Wesley, GCC Vice President, Workforce & Community Relations

Opening Remarks, Danny LeBlanc, Virginia’s Senior Advisor for Workforce \ Sealy Auditorium, Room 134

8:45 AM - 10:00 AM Panel Presentation: Trends and Transferable Skills

With distinguished speakers from state, regional, and local entities including: Economic

Development, Bay Consortium Workforce Investment Board, the Va. DBA, Society of

Human Resources Management, and the Va. Employment Commission -Moderator, Dr. Jeanne Wesley Sealy Auditorium, Room 134

10:00 AM - 12:30 PM Virginia Wizard, Hands-on Demonstrations, Room 112-A (Continuous) Pam Frederick, GCC Dean of Student Services, Kay Loving and Marie Hawley

10:15 AM - 11:15 AM Breakout Sessions

Applications and Resumes, Jon Zitz, Sealy Auditorium, Room 134 Interviewing,

Peter Mocarski, Room 105-A Networking and

Cold Calling, Neil Mairs, Room 105-B Managing

Finances, Ann Estes, Room 126 11:30 AM -12:30 PM

Breakout Sessions Repeated

(Openings still available for afternoon sessions... check at desk

1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Career Readiness Certificate Testing, Sponsored by Virginia Community Colleges, Room 105-B

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Effective Internet Job Search Skills, Sponsored by VEC, Room 112-A, Cheryl Alderman and Michelle Hochstein

1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Career Readiness Certificate Testing, Sponsored by Virginia Community Colleges, Room 105-B

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Effective Internet Job Search Skills, Sponsored by VEC, Room 112-A

H1N1 FluMist Vacination Clinics

2009-11-10T09:46:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, November 11, 3:00-7:00pm, Daniel Technology Center

Click here to read more

Former FBI profiler Clint Van Zandt to discuss negotiations with David Koresh at Waco, working Unabomber, Timothy McVeigh cases

2009-11-04T12:59:00.000-08:00

MSNBC analyst and former FBI profiler Clint van Zandt will speak at GCC's Sealy Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Nov. 9. It's free and open to the public ...

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By MICHAEL ZITZ

From time to time, people ask Clint Van Zandt if he's seen a new movie about the investigation of a particularly heinous crime.

"No," he'll say. "I spent my whole life doing that. I'm not gonna pay to see that."

For years, Van Zandt, now a news analyst for MSNBC, was part of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit at Quantico upon which the film "Silence of the Lambs" is based.

"Besides, he says, movies aren't true to life. Spotsylvania County resident Van Zandt knows the real stories firsthand. Click to read more...

Contemporary Art Center Exhibits

2009-10-30T17:14:00.000-07:00

More from exhibits at the Contemporary Art Center in Virginia Beach featuring Germanna’s Art Department Chair, Sandra Luckett. The work “Positive Spin” is currently on display. Click on the image above for a live experience.

Sen. Mark Warner: Third building at GCC's Fredericksburg Campus would help attract "world-class jobs" to area

2009-10-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

Sen. Warner says expansion of Germanna's Fredericksburg Campus critical to area's economic future.

"In the past," Sen Mark Warner says, "there was the expectation that public education would be funded by public funds. Increasingly, that’s not the case."

"... Community college, where so much is really done, particularly in terms of economic development, doesn’t have the kind of donor base universities do. [Capital] has to come from the business community."
Sen. Warner says area businesses would be wise to help supply seed money necessary to break ground on a third building at Germanna's overcrowded Fredericksburg Campus in Spotsylvania.

"Part of the challenge this community has got is not just attracting jobs—it’s attracting world-class jobs," he said.

"This is a community that in its own right is world class. You don’t want it to be just the lower-income jobs that are actually coming. At the end of the day, you want to have that kind of world-class job."

Veteran enrollment sees record surge at Germanna

2009-10-13T20:23:00.000-07:00

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New G.I. Bill fuels 21 percent jump in veteran enrollment at Germanna Community College
In this video, Germanna Veteran Affairs Representative Angela Sawyer explains the largest increase in veteran enrollment in the college's history

Dangerous depression: The warning signs, by GCC Prof. Kevin Handley

2009-10-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

Depression and suicide ...

From today's Free Lance-Star:
By Kevin B. Handley

MOST PEOPLE think of physical illness when asked about the most common causes of death. But suicide, which is almost always the result of mental illness, is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States.

Among young people between the ages 10 and 24 years of age, suicide is the second leading cause of death.

GCC student Carol Anne Brown took her own life in April after a struggle with bipolarism and depression ...

2009-09-30T17:36:00.000-07:00

During Monday night Oct. 5th's 7 p.m.'Depression & Suicide: Lifting the Stigma' event at Germanna's Fredericksburg Campus in Spotsylvania, prominent local people will share stories of their battles with depression and of dealing with the suicides of loved ones. Attending the event could save a life
Suffering from depression is nothing to be ashamed of. Neither is getting help. If you had diabetes, would you be embarrassed to go to a doctor and take insulin?

Depression affects millions of Americans, including some of the most famous and successful among us.

Please join us for a panel discussion on depression awareness and suicide prevention Monday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. at GCC's Fredericksburg Campus, Sealy Auditorium.

We are thankful that members of our community are willing to share their experiences and their journeys as we participate in this thoughtful discussion.

Panelists will include Todd Brown, the father of Carol Anne Brown, a Germanna student who suffered from bipolar disorder and took her own life; Nick Cadwallender, associate publisher of The Free Lance-Star, who has battled depression his whole life; Mary Gilkey, Germanna’s Dean of Nursing, who is a licensed clinical nurse specialist psychotherapist and whose sister committed suicide; and H. Reese Butler II, who founded a national teen suicide hotline after his wife killed herself. The moderator will be Ed Jones, editor of The Free Lance-Star.

National Depression Screening Day is October 8th.

Sign up to get your seasonal flu shot now!

2009-09-23T05:33:00.000-07:00

Where:
Locust Grove Campus-Wellness Center-Room 608
When:
September 30th-11:00am-1:00pm

Where:
Fredericksburg Area Campus in Spotsylvania-Room 212
When:
October 6th-10:00am-2:00pm

Cost: No cost for those with COV Health Insurance.

Click here to read more

More details emerge about impact of budget cut on Germanna, retirement contribution, furlough

2009-09-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

Germanna President David A. Sam has received more details from the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System regarding the state budget cut and retirement for Germanna Community College employees. He explains in his blog.

There will be two Open Forums about the budget cut impact on Tuesday, Sept. 15 to allow all employees an opportunity to attend and ask questions. Both forums will involve interactive video in Room 225 at the Fredericksburg Campus and Room 100 at the Locust Grove Campus. The first forum will be held from 11 a.m. to noon and the second forum will be held from noon to 1 p.m.

One-day furlough will apply to Germanna faculty and staff; Virginia Retirement System contribution rates to be adjusted in 2010

2009-09-09T19:40:00.000-07:00

Germanna Community College has received clarification on two items in yesterday's budget cut announcement by Gov. Kaine:

State savings will include more than $104 million in reduced payments to the Virginia Retirement System for the final quarter of FY 2010. Contribution rates for the Commonwealth and its employees will be changed in July at the beginning of the next biennium to adequately fund the long-term needs of the retirement system.

"We believe that employees will not see a difference in the current year but that as early as the last quarter of this fiscal year and most likely beginning in July employees will be asked to pay for a portion of our state retirement," said GCC President David A. Sam.

Also, a one-day furlough of all state employees on the Friday proceeding Memorial Day 2010 does apply to Germanna. Agencies with critical or emergency personnel are instructed to accommodate staffing needs and make adjustments to the furlough date accordingly.

"I will decide how we will implement after further discussions with vice presidents and other administrators and let you know," President Sam told faculty and staff.

To allow all employees an opportunity to attend, a second Open Forum has been added for Tuesday, Sept. 15. Both forums will involve interactive video in Room 225 at the Fredericksburg Campus and Room 100 at the Locust Grove Campus. The first forum will be held from 11 a.m. to noon and the second forum will be held from noon to 1 p.m.

"I regret the hardships these decisions will bring to all of you," President Sam told GCC faculty and staff. "Further clarification will be announced as soon as available."

Pharmacy Tech certification program can quickly prepare you to land a job in a field that's hiring

2009-08-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

Need a job in a hurry? Try GCC's Pharm Tech program ...

As health care needs grow with the aging of the Baby Boomers, drug stores across the country need people to fill Pharmacy Tech openings. Germanna still has seats open for the Fall in its Pharmacy Tech certification program/ It's a quick path to a job in a field that's hiring. For more information, go to the GCC Pharm Tech page, call 540/891-3000 or email John Stroffolino at jstroffolino@germanna.edu

Gov. Kaine after GCC Stafford Center ribbon-cutting: 'Talent is the most valuable asset. Workforce is now the most important thing.'

2009-07-29T18:53:00.000-07:00

Stafford Economic Development Authority Chairman Don Newlin, Gov. Tim Kaine and GCC President David A. Sam cut the ribbon to open the new Germanna Stafford Center

When Gov. Tim Kaine cut the ribbon to open Germanna’s new Stafford Center Wednesday, he said Virginia is rated the state best positioned to rebound from recession in part because of community colleges like GCC.

Kaine said he’s counting on GCC and rest of the Virginia Community College System to help the Old Dominion recover from the recession -–and to give its workforce an edge going forward.

“Community colleges play an important role, especially in a challenged economy,” Kaine told a crowd at the opening of the Center.

He said Virginia has been rated the state best positioned to rebound not just because of a positive business climate, but because of the competitiveness of its workers.

And when it comes to companies deciding where to relocate, the quality of Virginia’s workforce is key, Kaine said.

“Whatever the price of oil is, talent is the most valuable asset,” Kaine said. “Workforce is now the most important thing,” and community colleges play a vital role in educating and training Virginia’s workers to keep them competitive in the global economy. “Nothing else is even a close second.”

The fourth Germanna location--which has four state of the art classrooms, computer labs, and office space--is expected to offer 52 classes this fall and serve approximately 1,000 students.

The Center is a partnership between GCC and Stafford Economic Development Authority, which has invested $300,000 over three years to promote economic development through Workforce training. The center will also meet anticipated needs associated with the BRAC expansion at Quantico and the new Stafford Hospital Center. It’s located at Aquia Park, just south of the intersection of U.S. 1 and State Route 610 in North Stafford, which is one of the fastest-growing and congested areas in the region.

The governor said he doesn’t have a crystal ball when it comes to economic forecasting, but added, “We are seeing some positive signs,” including improvement in the housing market, “but I don’t yet call them trends.”

He said that while areas within commuting distance of Washington like Culpeper and the Fredericksburg area are feeling the impact of the economic downturn, they will be shielded from the worst of it.

“The world will always beat a path to the broad region that surrounds the nation’s capital,” Kaine said.

Germanna has experienced state budget cuts totaling 15 percent, with another soon to come, during a two-year period when it has been the fastest-growing college in Virginia.

But GCC President David A. Sam said opening the Stafford Center during lean times signals Germanna’s commitment to help the area bounce back from tough times and help build a new prosperity.

“This area needs us in bad times and in good,” Sam said. “We promise that, no matter what happens, we will try to meet the needs of our area’s students, parents and businesses.”

Despite hardships, Virginia 'very, very lucky,' and likely to be first state to see economic turnaround, Gov. Kaine says at GCC-hosted seminar

2009-07-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

Below, Gov. Tim Kaine talks with GCC President David A. Sam before cutting the ribbon to open Germanna's new Stafford Center.

Gov. Kaine addresses a crowd of 132 small business owners at Wednesday's Business Sales Growth Seminar at Germanna Community College.

At GCC, Gov. Kaine says a talented workforce and business-friendly climate are bringing in new companies and foreign investors: 'We're very, very lucky that we are positioned well in a variety of different ways going forward.'

The governor and state Secretary of Commerce and Trade Patrick O. Gottschalk both spoke and met with attendees.

Opening of new Stafford Center reflects both Germanna's and Stafford County's determination to meet growing needs in time of shrinking resources

2009-07-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

Gov. Kaine to open Germanna Stafford Center Wednesday at Aquia Park. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gov. Tim Kaine will cut the ribbon on Germanna Community College’s new Stafford Center at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, July 29.

The fourth location of Germanna Community College—which will have four classrooms, computer labs, and office space—is expected to offer 52 classes this fall and serve approximately 1,000 students.

The Center is a partnership between GCC and Stafford Economic Development Authority, which has invested $300,000 over three years to promote economic development through Workforce training. The center will also meet anticipated needs associated with the BRAC expansion at Quantico and the new Stafford Hospital Center.

The event is open to the public Wednesday at 10:45 a.m. at Aquia Park, located at 2761 Jefferson Davis Highway (U.S. 1) in North Stafford.

'We're the best deal for the American taxpayer'

2009-07-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

In Fox Business News interview, VCCS Chancellor Glenn DuBois explains the importance of the $12 billion federal community college initiative in turning economy around ...

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VCCS Chancellor Glenn DuBois this week on Fox Business News: "Harvard has been around for 10-plus generations or more. Community Colleges have been around for less than our lifetime. And already we've enrolled half of the nation's undegraduates--here in Virginia we enroll two-thirds of undergraduates. "We've come a long way in a short period of time and I think we're prepared to help more and more Americans..."
in

2009-07-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

Germanna Community College to be site for statewide electronic “Act on Poverty” Town Hall Saturday, July 18 at GCC’s Fredericksburg Campus

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Germanna Community College to be site for statewide electronic “Act on Poverty” Town Hall Saturday, July 18 at GCC’s Fredericksburg Campus Germanna Community College will be one of the hosts of a statewide town hall discussion on poverty in Virginia from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday July 18, providing an unprecedented opportunity for local citizens, groups and organizations to pitch ideas for reducing poverty in their localities and statewide.

Participants are encouraged to recommend specific strategies for the Commonwealth’s Poverty Reduction Taskforce and local and state officials to consider. GCC will host the area’s Act on Poverty conversation at its Fredericksburg Campus off U.S. 17 near Cosner’s Corner in Spotsylvania while other Virginia Community College System campuses host talks in their regions of the state.

Latoyia Jones, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent for Virginia Cooperative Extension assigned Planning District 16, which includes the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, Stafford and the city of Fredericksburg, noted that according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 37.3 million Americans, including 18 million children under the age of 18, live in poverty. In Planning District 16, Jones says, it’s reported that over 18,000 Fredericksburg-area residents live in poverty. “Many more have incomes above the poverty line, but their incomes are still low enough to qualify for programs like Food Stamps and Medicaid,” Jones said. “The recent economic downturn has seen unemployment rates rise and the use of emergency food pantries increase.”

Living in poverty can have negative impacts at any age, including poor nutrition during infancy, increased risk for academic failure in school age children, poor overall health in adults, and decreased access to prescription medication for seniors.

Gov. Tim Kaine will speak to participants at each site via YouTube prior to the beginning of the discussion, then suggestions. The statewide town halls will then result in the compilation of a formal list of recommendations for reducing poverty in Virginia, with suggested action steps for local and state implementation. The plan will be presented to this administration and the next, with advance consideration by Virginia's gubernatorial candidates.

In a recent address to state officials, bankers, nonprofit leaders and legislators at a "Rethinking Poverty: Exploring Economic Opportunity for All Virginians" gathering at the Omni Hotel in Richmond, Gov. Kaine said: "There are tough times out there facing Virginians through no fault of their own. It means we have to rethink the way we do business.”

Current data show approximately 739,000 people, nearly 10 per cent of all Virginians, live below the federal poverty line, including 232,600, or 12 per cent, of Virginia’s children.

As of 2007, the federal poverty line was $10,210 in annual income for an individual or $20,650 for a family of four. While Virginia’s statewide poverty rates are among the 10 lowest in the nation, certain regions are affected much more dramatically than others, with Southwest and Southside Virginia each having rates over 17 percent.
The governor called current federal guidelines that set the poverty line at $20,650 for a family of four "outdated".

The event, to be held in GCC’s Sealy Auditorium, is free and open to the public. No advance registration is required. For directions, go to http://www.germanna.edu/.

For other information, visit: http://www.hhr.virginia.gov/povertysummit/

Young mom is engineering a way to a good life for herself and her 2-year-old daughter

2009-07-08T18:04:00.000-07:00

UVa feeder program allows Germanna students to get a leg up on engineering degree ...

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2007 Massaponax High grad Rocio Fernandez loves her 2-year-old daughter--and math.

The young mom says Germanna's new engineering program partnership with UVa will allow her to take care of her little girl and still pursue her dream career.

Called "Produced in Virginia," the program uses the community college system as a pipeline for students into U.Va. for its Bachelor of Science degree in engineering.

Germanna plans to offer an associate of science in engineering that will be aligned with the U.Va. program starting this fall. Details are available here on the Web or by calling Mark Gibson, engineering program director, at 540/834-1063 or e-mailing: mgibson@germanna.edu.

'Let us all draw from their courage and vision to face our challenges ... as a nation and a people'

2009-07-04T12:46:00.000-07:00

The challenges we face today, Germanna President David A. Sam writes, may seem insurmountable, but our Founding Fathers had the courage and vision to overcome much longer odds ...
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"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
With these words, some 56 men chose to set themselves against the greatest military power of their time 233 years ago this month.

It is easy for us in our own troubled times to think things are as bad as they can be. Certainly the state of the economy and our risking the lives of some of our best young women and men in two different wars would argue for that. Certainly the arrogance and deceit of a few of our business leaders would argue for that.

But consider what it must have been like for those men--and for those women and men who depended on them to make right decisions rightly at the risk of their lives and well-being. Not only were we likely to lose the war, it was considered impossible that if we won we could govern ourselves as a democratic republic across such a huge expanse of geography and with so many people. And there were some fundamental flaws built into our beginnings, including slavery and a basic disagreement about how far individual liberty should be taken at the expense of the common good, and vice versa.

They knew what they were facing, and wrote their pledge accordingly:

"And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor."

Or as Benjamin Franklin more wittily put it:

"We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately."

On this 233rd anniversary of the signing of the Declaration and the birth of a new nation, let us all draw from their courage and vision to face our challenges and fundamental flaws as a nation and a people.

Virginia business coalition says investing in higher education is the surest path to future prosperity

2009-06-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

The Grow By Degrees coalition says sustained funding of higher education is critical to the state's economic well being ...

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A coalition of Virginia business leaders says the way to kick start the state's economy and insure future prosperity is to mandate proper funding for higher education in spite of the current economic doldrums.

The goal of a campaign launched this week by the Virginia Business Higher Education Council is to promote economic growth through high-impact investment and innovation in Virginia’s colleges, universities, and community colleges.

Grow By Degrees advocates a sustained, long-term program of higher education investment and reform, embodied in state law, to ensure affordable access for Virginia students and to generate strong economic activity and growth revenues for the Commonwealth.

Prominent business leaders in the Grow By Degrees coalition include Medical Facilities of America CEO W. Heywood Fralin; Dominion Resources President Thomas F. Farrell II; and Landmark Communications former President John O. “Dubby” Wynne.

“It is a startling reality that 75 percent of voters we polled in Virginia say a college degree is needed to succeed in today’s economy, but only 35 percent of college-age Virginians enroll in college and only 42 percent of Virginians have college degrees,” said VBHEC Chairman Heywood Fralin. “There is a broad gap between Virginians’ expectations and reality, and to turn those numbers around we need to take action now.”