1. Welcome

   Mr. Ed Flippen, Commission Chairman, welcomed members and introduced Bud Burnette, President of J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. Mr. Burnette welcomed the members and presented a brief overview of the College.

2. General Education Study of Virginia’s Colleges and Universities

   Dr. William Allen presented a review of a current study - General Education in Virginia’s System of Higher Education. The completed study will be ready in a matter of days; it has not yet been adopted by SCHEV. Some major points of Dr. Allen's remarks included:

   • General education in higher education makes possible a credible primary education.
   • With a goal of providing higher education for virtually all citizens, general education may need to be redefined.
   • General education has evolved as preparation for specialized study, implying little value in the general education itself.
   • General education is generally intended to provide breadth rather than depth.
   • Specialized programs of study may direct patterns of general education, leading to earlier studies in areas of specialization.
   • Generally, four-year institutions require few, if any, courses other than writing.
   • Outside the community college system, no public institution in Virginia requires math as a general education component for all students.
   • General education courses seldom serve as pre-requisites for specializations, yet general education courses not infrequently required pre-requisites.
   • Assessment will determine adequacy of general education programs and generally has already been added to planning and evaluation cycles.

   Some of the comments and questions of Commission members appear below:

   • What can we – the Commission - do to encourage assessment driven change, particularly related to foundational knowledge?
   • What is SCHEV’s role in change of this nature?
   • Do we have the courage to hold higher education accountable like K-12 has been held accountable?
   • What is the role of technology in this discussion?
   • Where is the biggest obstacle for change? Is it the faculty?

   Dr. Allen was asked to return at another time to make recommendations once the study is finalized.

3. Virginia Prepaid Education Program

   Ms. Diana F. Cantor, Executive Director, Virginia Prepaid Education Program presented a brief overview of VPEP, a program designed to allow Virginia families to prepay college tuition. Payments are invested so their growth covers future tuition costs and mandatory fees at Virginia’s public colleges and universities. VPEP benefits may also be applied to tuition and fees at Virginia private colleges and most colleges and universities nationwide and in some cases worldwide. VPEP also offers considerable tax advantages. Additional information is available on the VPEP web site: http://www.vpep.state.va.us

4. Higher Education: Legislative Update

   Mr. Wil Bryant, Secretary of Education presented an "Update of Higher Education Legislative Issues in the 1999 Session of the General Assembly." His complete remarks may be accessed from the home page for this site.

   Secretary Bryant reviewed the Governor's plan to roll back tuition for in-state students by 20% and discussed other plans that have been offered by members of the General Assembly. He also highlighted the Governor's plans to fund two pilot programs concerning the collaborative use of technology. He also reviewed the Governor's program to enhance program at Virginia's historically black insitutions.

5. Concluding Administrative Matters

   The next meeting of the Blue Ribbon Commission will be March 3, 1999, at Virginia State University. The topic will be Faculty and Instruction.

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Posted: February 12, 1999
By The Educational Policy Institute of Virginia Tech
sjanosik@vt.edu