For purposes of this chapter, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:”College degree” means an undergraduate degree from an accredited two-year or four-year public or private institution of higher education.”Cost of education” means the operating funds necessary during a fiscal year to provide educational and general services, other than research and public service, to students attending an institution in that fiscal year.”Council” means the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.”Educational and general fees” means fees over and above tuition charged for certain educational and general services.”Educational and general services” means services associated with instruction, academic support, student services, institutional support, research, public service, and operation and maintenance of physical plant, with adjustments based on particular state policies related to specific institutional conditions, but does not include services associated with programs and administrative services that are required to be self-supporting or are otherwise supported by funds other than general funds, such as food services, university-owned or university-leased dormitories or other living facilities, athletic programs, and other self-supporting programs.”Enrollment” or “student enrollment” means the number of full-time equivalent students.”Fiscal year” means the period from July 1 of one calendar year to June 30 of the next calendar year.”Institution” or “public institution of higher education” means each two-year and four-year public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth and, in the case of the Virginia Community College System, the system as a whole, not each community college.”Peer institutions” for an institution means those institutions determined by the Council, in consultation with the institution, the Secretary of Education or his designee, the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget or his designee, and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance or their designees, to be most similar to the institution and therefore to provide a fair comparison in determining what the appropriate and competitive faculty salaries for that institution should be.”STEM” means science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.”Student” means a full-time or part-time undergraduate, graduate, or professional student attending a public institution of higher education and enrolled in a degree program.”Virginia student” means a student who is eligible for in-state tuition pursuant to § 23-7.4.

History

2011, cc. 828, 869.