University of Virginia Library

REPORT ON COMMUNITY COLLEGES

The President reported on the requests received from the Covington-Clifton Forge and Lynchburg
communities for the establishment of a community college of the University in each of those locations.
In this regard he noted that he had restated the policy of the Board of Visitors with respect to the
establishment of community colleges at a teachers' meeting which he had addressed in Arlington in
August. This policy is to the effect that a request for a community college, following the experience
at Clinch Valley College and George Mason College, would be instituted by the establishment of
an off-campus branch in which the first two years of college work would be offered. If the response
to this program met the minimum standards for enrollment as established by the State Council of
Higher Education, then steps could be taken to ask the Governor and the General Assembly for capital
outlay funds to construct a permanent building to house a community college.

The President reported that he had communicated this policy to the Covington-Clifton Forge group
and had included in the University's biennial budget request an item for the establishment of an off-campus
branch in which two years of college work would be offered beginning in September 1962. The
Covington-Clifton Forge group had notified the University, however, that they desired a permanent
building to house a community college and had therefore withdrawn their request for affiliation in
order to approach another institution.

On the other hand, the President had received an enthusiastic response from the Lynchburg group
and, therefore, the request for the establishment of an off-campus branch there would be retained in
the University's biennial budget.

The President concluded his remarks by noting that this policy offered the best means for obtaining
a correct answer to the question as to the actual need for a two-year college program in those
areas seeking affiliation with the University.