PUB TYPE Historical Materials (060) Reports- Descriptive

This history of the development of the Virginia Community College System, with its 23 community colleges and central office, explores how a broadened base of higher education was accomplished through an evolutionary process and shows that certain people in the state advocated some sort of broadening long before the actual development of the community colleges. After introductory material, part I presents some philosophical and practical underpinnings for broadening the base of higher education in Virgina. Part II focuses on the work of policymakers and researchers that established the need for more post-high school education in Virginia. Part III traces the development of Virginia's system of technical colleges. Part IV highlights the work of legislators and other policymakers in laying the foundation for a statewide system of community colleges. Part V looks at the development of the community college system as part of the movement toward the democratization of post-high school education in the state. After concluding comments in part VI, an overview of the current status of the community college system in 1987 contributed by Don Puyear is presented, focusing on the organization of the system; the role and status of the state board for community colleges, the chancellor, the community college president, and the system office; the original master plan; accreditation; mission; educational program goals; enrollment; tuition; bud'eting and resource distributioa; foundations and development activities; the role of internal advisory groups i