House Higher Education Subcommittee advances 13 bills on governance, transparency and veteran tuition aid

The Virginia House Higher Education Subcommittee on Wednesday reported 13 bills out of committee, advancing measures on university governance, student data transparency, short-course exemptions for nondegree training providers and restored tuition assistance for Virginia National Guard members.

The subcommittee, chaired by the committee chair (referred to in the transcript as “Madam Chair”), heard bill presentations from delegates and outside witnesses and voted on motions to report bills, sending several measures to the Appropriations Committee for fiscal review.

The most consequential policy changes approved by the subcommittee include: a measure to let Christopher Newport University’s Board of Visitors meet off campus and alter election timing for officers (HB 1930); a bill to revert the Virginia National Guard tuition-assistance program to a direct-pay model (HB 1595); a transparency measure directing the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to publish accessible cost and outcome data online (HB 2045); and a bill to require public colleges to accept an individualized education program updated during a student’s last three years of high school as documentation of disability (HB 1805).

Delegate Ward, sponsor of House Bill 1930, said the changes “aim to modernize the governance, streamline operations, and improve the board's ability to adapt” by, for example, allowing the Christopher Newport University Board of Visitors to meet off campus and elect officers when vacancies occur rather than only after July 1 of even-numbered years. Tom Kramer of Christopher Newport University testified in…