Virginia Law

Article 4. New College Institute.

A. New College Institute (New College) is established as an educational institution of the Commonwealth in the area of Henry County and the City of Martinsville.

B. New College shall:

1. Seek to diversify the region's economy by engaging the resources of other institutions of higher education, public and private bodies, and organizations of the region and Commonwealth;

2. Serve as a catalyst for economic and community transformation by leveraging and brokering resources that support economic diversity;

3. Facilitate development of the technology and trained workforce necessary for new economic enterprises to flourish, using the resources available from collaborating educational institutions;

4. Expand educational opportunities in the region by providing access to degree-granting programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, through partnerships with private institutions of higher education and public institutions of higher education, the public schools, and the public and private sectors;

5. Encourage and coordinate the development and delivery of degree programs and other credit and noncredit courses with a focus on statewide and regional critical shortage areas and the needs of industry. Such programs and courses shall include needed adult education and workforce training; and

6. Serve as a resource and referral center by maintaining and disseminating information on existing educational programs, research, and university outreach and technology resources.

2006, cc. 808, 842, § 23-231.30; 2016, c. 588.

A. New College shall be governed by a 15-member board of directors (the board) that shall consist of five legislative members and 10 nonlegislative citizen members. Members shall be appointed as follows: three members of the House of Delegates, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates in accordance with the rules of proportional representation contained in the Rules of the House of Delegates; two members of the Senate, to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; and 10 nonlegislative citizen members, three of whom shall be representatives of business and industry from the Commonwealth, to be appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly. At least 13 members shall be residents of the Commonwealth.

Legislative members shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office.

B. Nonlegislative citizen members shall be appointed for terms of four years. Appointments to fill vacancies, other than by expiration of a term, shall be for the unexpired terms. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments. All members may be reappointed.

No nonlegislative citizen member is eligible to serve more than two consecutive four-year terms; however, a member appointed to serve an unexpired term is eligible to serve two consecutive four-year terms immediately succeeding such unexpired term.

C. The board shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman from among its membership and may establish bylaws as necessary. The meetings of the board shall be held at the call of the chairman or whenever the majority of the members so request.

D. Nonlegislative citizen members are not entitled to compensation for their services. Legislative members of the board shall be compensated as provided in § 30-19.12. All members shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties in the work of New College as provided in §§ 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825. The funding for the costs of compensation and expenses of the members shall be provided by New College.

2006, cc. 808, 842, § 23-231.31; 2016, c. 588; 2020, c. 878.

A. The board has, in addition to its other powers, all the corporate powers given to corporations by the provisions of Title 13.1, except in those cases where, by the express terms of its provisions, the law is confined to corporations created under that title. The board shall have the power to accept, execute, and administer any trust in which it may have an interest under the terms of the instrument creating the trust.

B. The board shall oversee the educational programs of New College and may enter into and administer agreements with institutions of higher education for such institutions to provide continuing education, instructional programs, and degree programs at New College. The board shall seek opportunities to collaborate with local comprehensive community colleges to meet specialized noncredit workforce training needs identified by industry. However, if local comprehensive community colleges are unable to meet identified industry needs, then the board may seek to collaborate with other education providers or other public and private organizations to provide or itself may provide specialized noncredit workforce training independent of local comprehensive community colleges.

C. The board, with the prior approval of the Governor, may lease, sell, and convey any and all real estate to which New College has acquired title by gift, devise, or purchase. The proceeds derived from any such lease, sale, or conveyance shall be held by New College upon the identical trusts, and subject to the same uses, limitations, and conditions, if any, that are expressed in the original deed or will under which its title has derived. If no such trusts, uses, limitations, or conditions are expressed in such original deed or will, then such funds shall be applied by the board to such purposes as it may deem best for New College.

D. The board may, on behalf of New College, apply for, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from public or private sources to enable it to carry out the purposes of this article.

E. The board may request and accept the cooperation of agencies of the Commonwealth or the local governing bodies in Southside Virginia, or the agencies of the Commonwealth or such local governing bodies in the performance of its duties.

F. The board shall direct the development and focus of New College's curriculum to include appropriate degree and nondegree programs offered by other educational institutions.

2006, cc. 808, 842, §§ 23-231.32, 23-231.33, 23-231.34, 23-231.36; 2016, c. 588; 2018, c. 754; 2022, c. 658.

The board shall appoint an executive director of New College who shall supervise and manage New College. The executive director may, with the oversight of the board, employ such staff and faculty as are necessary to enable New College to perform its duties as set forth in this article and the bylaws established by the board.

2006, cc. 808, 842, § 23-231.35; 2016, c. 588.