Legislative Advocacy Archives - 2012

January 24, 2012

The 2012 legislative session is off to a roaring start and this year’s Hokie Day on February 2 at the state capitol is less than two weeks away! The General Assembly welcomed 22 new members to the House and Senate, and over 2,100 bills and resolutions were introduced in a matter of days. Virginia Tech and the higher education community are very grateful for Governor McDonnell’s continued commitment to ensuring access and affordability to Virginia’s two and four-year colleges and universities, as demonstrated in the recent unveiling of his 2012-2014 Executive Budget.

In fact, the Governor included nearly $212 million in new dollars for Virginia’s system of higher education over the upcoming two year budget cycle. Each year, $77 million is expected to be appropriated to support the goals of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011 (also known as the Top Jobs legislation, or TJ21) which include support for base adequacy, Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Health (STEM-H) degree production, enrollment growth, student financial aid, and various research initiatives that were approved in the 2011 session. Other monies were included to support the Tuition Assistance Grant program (TAG) for private Virginia institutions, as well as support for workforce development and the Virtual Library of Virginia.

Virginia Tech’s expected appropriation as outlined in the Governor’s budget would include $2.2 million for base adequacy support, $2.6 million for degree growth incentives, and $283,250 for enrollment growth. We also received $339,000 to support financial aid, and $1.5 million each year to further brain disorder research at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute in Roanoke. Also, along with Virginia Commonwealth University, George Mason University, and Eastern Virginia Medical School, Virginia Tech was named as a partner in the Governor’s Life Sciences Research Consortium. This consortium provides $10 million dollars over two years to further research in the field of biosciences.

To advance the initiatives of the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Governor has asked colleges and universities to reallocate significant portions of their Education and General (E&G) General Fund budgets. Under this approach, Virginia Tech is expected to redirect nearly $13 million in the 2012-2014 budget cycle.

As we look forward to Hokie Day, it is important to remember the role that individual alumni contacts can play in Virginia Tech's legislative advocacy. It is a simple fact that legislators - even those who are helpful to the University - react more favorably to our initiatives when they know that people in their home districts also support Virginia Tech. This impact cannot be overstated. 

A handwritten note, a timely phone call, or even a simple email sent in the alum’s own words can make a world of difference.  In addition, dozens of alumni will assist in this collective effort by personal visits with their Members in Richmond on Hokie Day. The Hokie Day goal is for every Delegate and Senator to receive a personal visit from a Virginia Tech alum or student. This is a terrific experience for both alumni and students, and we hope that a record number of alumni will travel to Richmond this year to advocate for Virginia Tech.

We are greatly appreciative of Governor McDonnell's commitment to higher education and Virginia Tech.  When communicating with legislators, please let them know you support the Governor's higher education priorities and especially those funding initiatives that provide additional direct support to Virginia Tech.

We hope you will be able to join us on February 2, 2012, for our 14th Annual Hokie Day. For more information on our activities for that day, please contact Nancy Hagen at 804-786-8110 or nhagen@vt.edu

2011 Hokie Legislators

The Virginia House of Delegates:
Del. Anne B. Crockett-Stark • Del. Edward T. Scott
Del. Joe T. May • Del. David L. Bulova
Del. Richard Anderson • Del. Robert D. Orrock Sr.
Del. James E. Edmunds II • Del. Thomas D. Rust
Del. Johnny S. Joannou

The Senate of Virginia:
Sen. John C. Watkins • Sen. Mark D. Obenshain
Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel • Sen. Phillip P. Puckett

Upcoming Dates:

February 2, 2012 • 14th Annual Hokie Day

Questions or Comments?

Please contact:

Elizabeth Hooper
State Legislative Liaison
ehooper@vt.edu

Betty Lee
Regional Alumni Programs & Legislative Advocacy
bettylee@vt.edu

Nancy Hagen
Administrative Staff Assistant
nhagen@vt.edu