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Directory of business schools in Virginia
(Editor’s note: Listings with logos and longer descriptions are paid listings from display advertisers.)
PUBLIC COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
(nonprofit, based in Virginia)
CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY
Joseph W. Luter III School of Business
Newport News
cnu.edu/schoolofbusiness
Business programs: Bachelor’s degrees in accounting, finance, management and marketing. Graduate: Master’s degree in financial analysis
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
Donald G. Costello College of Business
Fairfax
business.gmu.edu
Business programs: Bachelor of Science in business (with concentrations in accounting, business analytics, finance, financial planning and wealth management, management, management information systems, marketing, and operations and supply chain management). Graduate: MBAs, master’s degrees in accounting, business analytics, finance, management, real estate development; Ph.D. in business
JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY
College of Business
Harrisonburg
jmu.edu/cob
Business programs: Bachelor’s degrees in accounting, business management, computer information systems and business analytics, economics, finance and business law, international business, marketing, and quantitative finance. Graduate: MBAs, master’s degree in accounting
LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY
College of Business & Economics
Farmville
longwood.edu/business
Business programs: Bachelor’s of business administration (with concentrations in accounting, economics, finance, information systems and cybersecurity, management, marketing, real estate and supply chain management endorsement); Bachelor of Science in economics. Graduate: MBA (with tracks in accounting, economics, finance, real estate, marketing, data analytics and a general track)
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY
School of Business
Norfolk
nsu.edu/business
Business programs: Bachelor of Science in accountancy and tourism and hospitality management; Bachelor of Science in business (with concentrations in business intelligence and data analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, financial services, management, management information systems and marketing); Ernest M. Hodge Institute for Entrepreneurship
OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY
Strome College of Business
Norfolk
odu.edu/business
Business programs: Undergraduate: Bachelor of Science in business administration (with concentrations in accounting, business analytics, database administration, digital marketing, e-business and e-commerce, economics, enterprise cybersecurity, finance, information systems and technology, international business – east Asia, international business, management, maritime and supply chain management, marketing, marketing analytics and research, network engineering, personal financial planning, professional sales, real estate, risk management and insurance), public administration early start. Graduate: master’s programs in accounting, economics, maritime trade and supply chain management; MBA in business administration; master’s in public administration; Ph.D. programs in business administration, public administration and policy
RADFORD UNIVERSITY
Davis College of Business and Economics
Radford
radford.edu/cobe
Business programs: Undergraduate: Bachelor of business administration in accounting, finance (with concentrations in general finance and insurance and real estate), management (with concentrations in entrepreneurship, human resources management and general business), marketing (with concentrations in general marketing, digital marketing and professional sales, economics); Bachelor of Science in economics, information science and systems (with concentrations in information systems and security management and information systems and decision analytics). Graduate: MBA program, MBA with business analytics concentration
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON
College of Business
Fredericksburg
business.umw.edu
Business programs: Undergraduate: Bachelor of Science in business administration (with accounting, business administration, international business, management and entrepreneurship, and marketing majors). Graduate: MBA program
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
Darden School of Business
Charlottesville; Arlington County
darden.virginia.edu
Business programs: MBAs, M.S. in Business Analytics, Ph.D., Executive Education & Lifelong Learning
UVA Darden’s unparalleled, transformational learning experiences are delivered by faculty ranked the best in the world for bringing out the best in you.
We put your purpose in motion, leading to a lifetime of career advancement and impact. All our learning pathways are intensely relational by design: immersive, learner-centered and dialogue-driven experiences that prepare you with the skills, smarts, and sense of purpose and ethics to forge the future.
A world leader in business ethics, leadership and general management, we shape how business is conducted through ideas emerging from the intersection of academic research and practice. We define high performance in business by a singular purpose: bringing people together to create value for business and society.
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
McIntire School of Commerce
Charlottesville
commerce.virginia.edu
Business programs: Bachelor’s degree in commerce. Graduate: Master’s degrees in accounting, business analytics, commerce, global commerce and management of information technologyUVA Darden’s unparalleled, transformational learning experiences are delivered by faculty ranked the best in the world for bringing out the best in you.
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA’S COLLEGE AT WISE
Department of Business and Economics
Wise
uvawise.edu/academics/departments/business-economics
Business programs: Bachelor of Arts in accounting, business administration, economics; Bachelor of Science in accounting, business administration, economics, and hospitality and tourism management
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
School of Business
Richmond
business.vcu.edu
Business programs: Bachelor of Science in accounting, economics, finance, information systems, real estate, management and entrepreneurship (with concentrations in management/business administration, management/entrepreneurship, management/industrial management, human resource management), marketing, supply chain management.
Graduate: Master of Accountancy, Master of Decision Analytics, M.S. in business (with concentrations in branding/art direction, branding/copywriting, branding/strategy, branding/ creative brand management), business (concentration in finance), information systems, marketing – business (concentration in marketing management), M.A. in economics, MBA, Master of Sport Leadership, Master of Supply Chain Management; Ph.D. in business (concentration in management), business (with concentration in accounting), business (with concentration in information systems).
Everyone’s path is unique. At VCU Business, we believe in creating unlimited opportunities for your future. Our range of graduate programs are designed with working professionals in mind, offering flexibility in both pace and delivery. Whether you choose to study on-campus, online, evenings or, in some cases, weekends, we guide you to the path that best aligns with your goals, all while staying connected to Richmond’s dynamic business community.
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE
Department of Economics and Business
Lexington
vmi.edu/academics/departments/economics-and-business/
Business programs: Bachelor of Arts in economics and business (with concentrations in decision analytics, financial analysis and global business)
VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY
Reginald F. Lewis College of Business
Petersburg
vsu.edu/business/
Business programs: Bachelor of Science in accounting, management information systems (with a concentration in cybersecurity and forensics), management, management (with a concentration in human resources), marketing. Graduate: MBA program
VIRGINIA TECH
Pamplin College of Business
Blacksburg
pamplin.vt.edu
Business programs: Undergraduate degrees with majors in accounting and information systems, business information technology, finance, management, marketing, real estate, and hospitality and tourism management. Graduate: Evening MBA, Master of Science in Business Administration (concentrations in Hospitality and Tourism Management, Global Business Analytics, and Business Analytics), Online MBA, Online Virginia Tech Master of Information Technology, Master of Accounting and Information Systems, and Executive Ph.D. in Business.
Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business is a globally recognized institution committed to academic excellence, transformative research, and preparing the next generation of business leaders. Located in Blacksburg, with a new academic campus in Alexandria, Pamplin’s diverse programs span seven disciplines, blending theoretical foundations with practical applications.
Pamplin’s faculty are renowned for cutting-edge research, addressing critical issues shaping industries and workplaces worldwide. Their work fosters solutions that drive business forward. The college cultivates entrepreneurial mindsets, ethical decision-making, and global perspectives in its students.
Pamplin’s graduate programs equip professionals with skills and knowledge to advance careers and lead in an evolving marketplace. These programs leverage academic rigor, interdisciplinary collaborations, and industry connections for a transformative learning experience.
Through its dedication to research, innovation, and student success, Pamplin upholds its mission of shaping the future of business and cultivating leaders equipped to make meaningful impacts.
WILLIAM & MARY
Raymond A. Mason School of Business
Williamsburg
mason.wm.edu
Business programs: Majors include accounting, business analytics, finance and marketing and concentrations include accounting, business analytics (with emphases in data science and supply chain), consulting, finance, management and organizational leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship, marketing, supply chain analytics, sustainability. Graduate: MBAs, master’s degrees in business analytics, accounting, marketing and finance
PRIVATE COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
(nonprofit, based in Virginia)
AVERETT UNIVERSITY
Department of Business Administration
Danville
averett.edu
Business programs: Major in business administration (with concentrations in accounting, management science and marketing management). Graduate: MBAs (with concentrations in marketing, leadership and human resource management)
BLUEFIELD UNIVERSITY
Caudill School of Business
Bluefield
bluefield.edu/academics/colleges-schools/caudill-school-of-business/
Business programs: Bachelor’s degrees in business administration (with concentrations in accounting, cybersecurity, information technology, management and sport management), cybersecurity and leadership and innovation. Graduate: MBAs (with specializations in finance, health care management, human services justice administration and leadership)
BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE
Nolen School of Business and Professional Studies, Department of Economics and Business Administration
Bridgewater
bridgewater.edu
Business programs: Majors in business administration (with concentrations in accounting, finance, financial economics, marketing, organization management) and economics. Graduate: Master of Arts in nonprofit management, Master of Science in human resources management
BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE
Chesterfield County, Hampton, Virginia Beach
bryantstratton.edu/degrees/business
Business programs: Associate degrees in accounting, business, digital marketing, graphic design, hospitality management, human resources specialist, office management and restaurant and hotel management; bachelor’s degrees in business administration (with concentrations in accounting, digital marketing, general management and human resources), bachelor of professional studies (with a concentration in organizational leadership) accounting, digital marketing, general management, human resources, organizational leadership
EASTERN MENNONITE UNIVERSITY
Business and Leadership
Harrisonburg
emu.edu/business
Business programs: Majors in accounting, business administration, business analytics, international business, economics, marketing, organizational leadership, recreation and sports management. Graduate: MBA program, MBA and Master of Science in Nursing dual degree program.
EMORY & HENRY UNIVERSITY
School of Business
Emory
emoryhenry.edu/academics/school-business/
Business programs: Bachelor of Science in accounting, business administration, business – teacher preparation, and concentrations include hospitality management, innovation and entrepreneurship, international business, leadership. Graduate: MBA program.
FERRUM COLLEGE
School of Business and Technology
Ferrum
ferrum.edu/directory/departments/school-of-business-and-technology/
Business programs: Undergraduate degrees in accounting and business administration with emphases in business analytics, financial management, management, marketing and sports management
HAMPDEN-SYDNEY COLLEGE
Economics & Business
Hampden Sydney
hsc.edu/academics/economics-and-business
Business programs: Undergraduate degrees in economics, economics and business, mathematical economics
HAMPTON UNIVERSITY
James T. George School of Business
Hampton
home.hamptonu.edu/business
Business programs: Bachelor of Science degrees in accounting, finance, business administration, entrepreneurship, economics, marketing and management. Graduate: MBAs, Ph.D. in business administration
HOLLINS UNIVERSITY
Department of Economics and Business
Roanoke
hollins.edu
Business programs: Bachelor’s degree in business with concentrations in general business, finance, international business and entrepreneurship; bachelor’s degree in economics
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
School of Business
Lynchburg
liberty.edu/business
Business programs: Bachelor’s degrees in accounting and data analysis, business administration and data analysis, computer science, coaching, hospitality management, health care administration, computer science cybersecurity, informatics, information systems, information technology, sport management. Graduate: MBAs, master’s degrees in accounting, cybersecurity, executive leadership, finance, health care administration, health informatics, human resource management, information systems, information technology, marketing, nonprofit management, project management, sport management; doctoral degrees in business administration, organization and management, and strategic leadership
MARY BALDWIN UNIVERSITY
Staunton
marybaldwin.edu/programs
Business programs: Bachelor’s degree in business, (with concentrations in accounting, human resource management, management, marketing, project management), health care administration, marketing (with concentrations in marketing management, integrated marketing and consumer insights), and public policy. Graduate: MBA program, MBA/Master of Healthcare Administration dual degree program
MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY
College of Business, Innovation, Leadership and Technology
Arlington County
marymount.edu/academics/college-of-business-innovation-leadership-and-technology/
Business programs: Bachelor’s degrees in accounting, business administration, economics, fashion merchandising and marketing, information technology, AI, computer science Graduate: MBA, master’s degrees in cybersecurity, information technology, emerging technology, technology management and dual degree programs; doctoral programs in business administration and cybersecurity
RANDOLPH COLLEGE
Economics and Business
Lynchburg
randolphcollege.edu/economics/
Business programs: Bachelor’s degrees in business, economics
RANDOLPH-MACON COLLEGE
Ashland
rmc.edu/academics/areas-of-study/business/
Business programs: Undergraduate degrees in business (with concentrations in finance, management and marketing), accounting, economics
REGENT UNIVERSITY
School of Business and Leadership
Virginia Beach
regent.edu/school-of-business-and-leadership/
Business programs: Bachelor’s degrees in leadership studies, accounting, business (with concentrations in accounting, economics, financial management, general management, human resource management, international business, marketing and sports management), business analytics, management, marketing, Christian leadership and management, financial management, health care management and human resource management. Graduate: MBA programs, master’s degrees in organizational leadership, accounting, business analytics, cybersecurity; doctoral programs in business, business administration, strategic leadership and organizational leadership.
ROANOKE COLLEGE
School of Business, Economics and Analytics
Salem
roanoke.edu
Business programs: Undergraduate programs in business administration, actuarial science, economics, economics-finance, finance, marketing and sports management. Graduate: MBA program
SHENANDOAH UNIVERSITY
School of Business
Winchester
su.edu/business
Business programs: Bachelor’s in business administration with concentrations in accounting, aviation studies, digital marketing, economics and finance, entrepreneurship, esports management, health care management, information systems and technologies, management, marketing, sport management); e-sports management; e-sports media and communication. Graduate: MBA programs (with specializations in business analytics, cybersecurity management, digital marketing, esports management, health care management and sustainable business)
SOUTHERN VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
Business management and leadership
Buena Vista
svu.edu/academics/programs/business
Business programs: Undergraduate degree in business management and leadership
SWEET BRIAR COLLEGE
Sweet Briar
sbc.edu/academics/business
Business programs: Bachelor’s degrees in business, economics
UNIVERSITY OF LYNCHBURG
College of Business
Lynchburg
lynchburg.edu/academics/college-of-business
Business programs: Bachelor’s degrees in accounting, economics, financial economics, business administration, management, marketing, digital media marketing, sport management. Graduate: MBA program
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND
Robins School of Business
Richmond
robins.richmond.edu
Business programs: Undergraduate degrees in accounting, business administration, economics; concentrations: accounting, business analytics, economics, finance, international business, management consulting, entrepreneurship, marketing. Graduate: MBA program, master’s in management
VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY
Sydney Lewis School of Business
Richmond
vuu.edu
Business programs: Bachelor’s degrees in accounting, finance and banking, business analytics, entrepreneur management, hospitality management, marketing. Graduate: Executive MBA program (with concentrations in church management, entrepreneurship, general MBA, global supply chain management, hospitality management), M.S. in hospitality management
VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
Management, business and economics department
Virginia Beach
vwu.edu/academics/majors/business
Business programs: Bachelor’s degree in business (with concentrations in international business, marketing and public relations, human resource management, law and public administration, accounting and finance, general management and supply chain and operations management). Graduate: MBA program, master’s degrees in human services and leadership and nonprofit management
WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY
The Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics
Lexington
my.wlu.edu/the-williams-school/departments-and-programs
Business programs: Undergraduate degrees include accounting, business administration and economics.
TWO-YEAR, RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE
RICHARD BLAND COLLEGE OF WILLIAM & MARY
Business administration program
South Prince George
rbc.edu
Business programs: Associate of Science in business administration
George Mason’s Fuse tech hub opens to public
On the third floor of George Mason University’s new state-of-the-art Fuse tech hub, robots jumped, begged, rolled over and offered a mechanical paw to shake Friday while a small drone hovered above.
The endearing welcome by George Mason’s RobotiXX Lab robots offered a brief glimpse into the future for the group of academics and students who are developing the next generation of intelligent robots built to work on behalf of humans in challenging environments. When RobotiXX completes its move from its current home on the university’s Fairfax campus in May 2025, it will not only have a bigger, better space in which to build and demonstrate its robots, but it will also be settled among industry partners who can provide a lifeline as RobotiXX develops its technologies.
“We want to be connected with industry so that we can push these robots from our academic lab out there to the wild,” says Xuesu Xiao, RobotiXX Lab’s director and an assistant professor of computer science at George Mason.
Two years after its groundbreaking, Mason offered the first public look inside Fuse, the new, 345,000-square-foot high-tech building on its Mason Square campus in Arlington County’s Ballston-Rosslyn neighborhood, on Friday, announcing its commercial launch as industry partners begin to move into the space in coming months.
Classes at Fuse, which will include undergraduate and graduate-level students, are expected to begin in the fall 2025 semester. Research within Fuse is expected to begin by June 2025.
The building, a public-private partnership developed by McLean-based Edgemoor Infrastructure and Real Estate, which owns the building, will offer a mix of space for commercial businesses working in digital technologies, as well as high-tech lab, classroom, collaborative and incubator spaces and dining. The spaces are divvied up nearly into thirds, split among GMU, private businesses and collaborative and conferencing spaces, says Edgemoor Managing Director Brian Naumick.
Fuse cost a little more than $250 million to construct, with $90 million each contributed by Mason and Virginia’s Tech Talent Investment Program, as well as $78 million from Edgemoor.
Construction of Fuse is still ongoing, and commercial spaces will be outfitted as those tenants move in, says Liza Wilson Durant, George Mason associate provost for strategic initiatives and community engagement.
In October, Mason announced that the building’s first tenant, Cybastion, a cybersecurity and digital IT company focused on emerging markets, would move into Fuse in spring 2025. About 75% of the commercial space has been committed, but officials declined to give a list of tenants or say how many companies are part of the initial slate, citing future announcements.
“Imagine how exciting it’s going to be for our students to come into the building in the fall and be able to walk past corridors with industry names where they’re going to want to work, and to have opportunities for internships and capstone projects, and even just shadow someone for the day,” Wilson Durant said during her keynote remarks Friday.
Fuse is opening as the region looks to become a tech stronghold and as GMU’s reputation as a research university grows nationally. Fuse is being viewed as a catalyst to spark more of that growth as well as an economic development driver for Arlington’s Ballston-Rosslyn sections, including as a source for building a greater tech worker pipeline.
Ryan Touhill, the county’s economic development director and a 2006 graduate of GMU, said in opening remarks that Arlington’s newest economic development strategy focuses on tech. “We’re going all in on the tech economy,” Touhill said.
Wilson Durant says several of Fuse’s new tenants are companies that have worked with the university as partners previously, adding that bringing academia and industry together into a collaborative space to work on a joint proposal on a project for a federal government agency, like the U.S. Department of Defense, might help accelerate the work.
“An academic environment, it fuels exchange of information and knowledge,” she says. “It’s less about selling a product and more about innovating and advancing the knowledge body. That’s a very attractive ecosystem for industry to be part of. It’s different.”
SCHEV approves ODU/NSU Joint School of Public Health
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) has approved the Joint School of Public Health (JSPH), offered by Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University, the schools announced on Thursday.
Council members approved the school at a Sept. 17 meeting, according to a SHEV spokesperson.
“We have a real opportunity to create and sustain transformational change in Virginia’s communities where, for too long, we have seen serious health inequities,” ODU President Brian O. Hemphill stated in a release. “The formation of the Joint School of Public Health, in partnership with Norfolk State University, will serve Hampton Roads well as we provide a growing pipeline of health care leaders who are fully dedicated to building and maintaining healthy communities.”
The Joint School of Public Health (JSPH) is part of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at ODU, an academic health sciences center. Classes will be held at NSU, ODU and Eastern Virginia Medical School at ODU.
NSU is only the second historically Black college or university to offer a public health program.
“This is a unique partnership between our two institutions that in time will show the power of regionalism … and how collaboration can be used to find solutions to improve wellness and health outcomes for everyone, especially in underserved communities,” NSU President Javaune Adams-Gaston said in the release.
Diabetes and heart disease mortality rates across Hampton Roads are higher than other areas of Virginia, according to the Bon Secours 2023 Community Health Needs Assessment Implementation Plan. Officials leading the JSPH want to improve health equity for the region.
“The Joint School of Public Health is an opportunity for some of the best and the brightest students, faculty and staff in our region to come together to address our most pressing needs around public health and health equity in Hampton Roads,” Dr. Alfred Abuhamad, executive vice president of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at ODU and dean of the Eastern Virginia Medical School at ODU, stated in a news release.
The JSPH will offer two departments: the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Environmental Health, and the Department of Health Behavior, Policy and Management. Students can earn bachelor of science degrees in public health; public health with a major in health services administration; and environmental health. Master’s degrees in public health and health care administration and a doctorate in health services research will also be offered.
Next, the JSPH will seek accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health, a national accreditation body that requires a site visit and curriculum review.
Virginia 500: The 2024-25 Power List
Who are Virginia’s most powerful and influential leaders in business, government, politics and education this year? Find out in the fifth annual edition of the Virginia 500: The 2024-25 Power List.
Read more about how we assembled the Virginia 500 from our editor.
Executives are listed in alphabetical order by industry.
Below you will find links to each of the 21 categories featuring the state’s top leaders this year:
- Living Legends
- Agriculture
- Arts | Entertainment | Sports
- Banking | Finance
- Economic Development
- Education
- Energy
- Federal Contractors | Technology | Aerospace
- Government | Politics | Lobbying
- Health Care | Biotech | Pharmaceuticals
- Hospitality | Tourism
- Insurance
- Law
- Manufacturing
- Media
- Nonprofits | Philanthropy
- Professional Services | Accounting | Advertising | Consulting
- Real Estate | Architecture | Construction | Development | Engineering
- Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage
- Telecommunications
- Transportation | Maritime | Ports | Logistics
2024 Virginia 500: Education
MAKOLA M. ABDULLAH
PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY, PETERSBURG
JAVAUNE ADAMS-GASTON
PRESIDENT, NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY, NORFOLK
LANCE R. COLLINS
VICE PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VIRGINIA TECH INNOVATION CAMPUS, ALEXANDRIA
MARCIA CONSTON
PRESIDENT, TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE, NORFOLK
MAJ. GEN. DONDI E. COSTIN (U.S. AIR FORCE, RET.)
PRESIDENT, LIBERTY UNIVERSITY, LYNCHBURG
DAVID DORÉ
CHANCELLOR, VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM, RICHMOND
TRACY FITZSIMMONS
PRESIDENT, SHENANDOAH UNIVERSITY, WINCHESTER
SCOTT FLEMING
DIRECTOR, STATE COUNCIL OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR VIRGINIA, RICHMOND
AIMEE ROGSTAD GUIDERA
SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, RICHMOND
KEVIN F. HALLOCK
PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, RICHMOND
BRIAN O. HEMPHILL
PRESIDENT, OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY, NORFOLK
DONNA PRICE HENRY
CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA’S COLLEGE AT WISE, WISE COUNTY
REAR ADM. WILLIAM G. KELLY (U.S. COAST GUARD, RET.)
PRESIDENT, CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY, NEWPORT NEWS
ANNE M. KRESS
PRESIDENT, NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE, ANNANDALE
KARL McDONNELL
PRESIDENT AND CEO, STRATEGIC EDUCATION, HERNDON
TROY D. PAINO
PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON, FREDERICKSBURG
MICHAEL RAO
PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, RICHMOND
GORDON P. ROBERTSON
CHANCELLOR, REGENT UNIVERSITY; PRESIDENT AND CEO, CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING NETWORK, VIRGINIA BEACH
KATHERINE A. ROWE
PRESIDENT, WILLIAM & MARY, WILLIAMSBURG
JAMES E. RYAN
PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, CHARLOTTESVILLE
TIMOTHY SANDS
PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA TECH, BLACKSBURG
GREGORY WASHINGTON
PRESIDENT, GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY, FAIRFAX
LT. GEN. DARRELL K. WILLIAMS (U.S. ARMY, RET.)
PRESIDENT, HAMPTON UNIVERSITY, HAMPTON
MAJ. GEN. CEDRIC T. WINS (U.S. ARMY, RET.)
SUPERINTENDENT, VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE, LEXINGTON
Batten donates $100M to expand W&M marine, coastal research
Jane Batten, the matriarch of a Hampton Roads family known for its philanthropy, has pledged $100 million to William & Mary to boost coastal and marine science research towards finding global solutions for flooding and sea-level rise, the Williamsburg university announced Wednesday. The newly named Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences will expand the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and allow it to hire more scientists whose research could have a worldwide impact, officials say.
Batten’s donation is the largest in the 331-year-old university’s history, and W&M officials say the nine-figure gift is “by a factor of four” the largest donation ever made to any research institution focused on marine and coastal science. The donation will be used to build out VIMS’ site on the York River in Gloucester Point, and hire more researchers who can examine the impact of sea-level rise, storm intensity, flooding and other climate-fueled impacts on coastal communities.
The university’s existing School of Marine Science, renamed for Batten as of Wednesday, is located at VIMS’ facility, and although the Batten School’s construction plans and timeline have not yet been set, the school will remain at the VIMS site across from Yorktown on the York River, the university said in its announcement.
According to W&M, Batten’s gift will also go toward the creation of a bachelor’s degree in coastal and marine sciences, in addition to existing graduate and doctoral degrees offered at VIMS. The State Council for Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV) must approve the new undergraduate major. The university also plans to expand interdisciplinary courses on marine and coastal sciences that non-major students can participate in.
W&M also hopes to raise $100 million more through private, state and federal sources to complement Batten’s donation. According to President Katherine Rowe, about $50 million of Batten’s gift will go toward campus infrastructure, including new learning and research spaces, but the university is still determining whether to renovate existing structures, construct new buildings or pursue a combination of both.
“This gift propels us forward toward great promise and progress,” Batten said in a statement. “I am confident that this will spark significant change, building resilience in coastal communities in the commonwealth and across the globe for generations to come.
“I’m calling on fellow philanthropists, government leaders, alumni and friends to join me in taking action,” she added. “I’ve always believed that philanthropy is not just something you should do, it is something that is a privilege to do. I’m privileged to be able to give to something that will be a game-changer for the world.”
A Virginia Beach resident, Batten is a former W&M board member, as was her late husband, Frank Batten, who was chairman and CEO of Landmark Communications and a co-founder of The Weather Channel. The Batten family — including the couple’s children, Dorothy and Frank Batten Jr. — have made significant donations to William & Mary, the Slover Library in Norfolk, Hollins University, Old Dominion University, the University of Virginia and other state institutions over the years.
VIMS, a state agency charged with conducting research and providing scientific data on Virginia’s waterways to the commonwealth, was started in 1940 and was integrated with William & Mary in 1979. Over the past decades, VIMS has researched how to maintain and grow Virginia’s oyster and blue crab populations, monitor and forecast sea-level rise, and identify causes and risks of water pollution, among other subjects of study. In 2021, W&M started its Vision 2026 water initiative, in which the university pledged to study solutions to build coastal resilience not just in Virginia but worldwide.
Rowe noted in an interview with Virginia Business that just in the commonwealth, approximately 5 million people live on coastlines, and “many more than that are affected by the watershed at the Chesapeake Bay. In the U.S., that’s 128 million, and globally, 3.2 billion human beings.
“It became really clear to me that there is no institution better positioned to address the environmental threats, the economic challenges that are faced in the world’s coastlines and oceans, and it was starting at that point 30 or more years ago,” Rowe added. “William & Mary and VIMS have been at the vanguard of that kind of impactful research for a long, long time. So we see the Batten School as powering at a much higher level the kinds of ‘science for solutions’ that William & Mary has been producing for decades, and to do that for Virginia, and more broadly to do that globally.”
Derek Aday, VIMS’ director and dean of the Batten School, said that the donation has “transformed every aspect of our mission generationally. This is not like naming a building that eventually is torn down. This will affect our research, our teaching, our advisory service for generations to come.”
Both Aday and Rowe say they hope there will be other philanthropists who follow Batten’s lead and contribute funding to the issue of global warming, coastal resilience and other key environmental factors the world faces.
“There will be imitators,” Aday said, “as there should be. This is the leading edge.”
Virginia is CNBC’s Top State for Business for record sixth time
Virginia regained its crown as the No. 1 state in CNBC’s annual America’s Top States for Business rankings released Thursday, winning the top spot for a record sixth time.
The cable business news network once again praised Virginia for having “the nation’s best education system and policies that give companies room — both literally and figuratively — to grow.” In particular, the Old Dominion ranked first place in the nation for education, third for infrastructure and fourth for artificial intelligence, with CNBC noting that the commonwealth is home to the world’s largest concentration of data centers, through which more than 70% of the world’s internet traffic travels.
“But where Virginia’s infrastructure really shines is in the wealth of shovel-ready sites the state offers for companies that want to build fast,” the network said. “The state’s economic development arm has certified dozens of sites across the commonwealth, promising that all utilities and infrastructure can be in place within 18 months.”
Virginia ranked fifth for business friendliness, with CNBC noting that the commonwealth wasn’t “friendly enough” to land a pet project of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a failed proposal to build a $2 billion arena in Alexandria for the Washington Capitals and Wizards. (Democratic state Sen. Louise Lucas, chairman of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee and a key opponent of the deal, tweeted Thursday, “We wouldn’t be the number one state for business if we had wasted billions of taxpayer dollars on a vanity arena project. You’re welcome Wannabe VP Pick for Tyrannical Trump.”)
CNBC also pointed out that though the commonwealth was ranked No. 9 in the nation for workforce, it has a problem with outmigration, with “too many workers moving out [and] not enough moving in.” And it noted that while the commonwealth is rich in data centers, that’s caused a strain on the state’s power grid.
Virginia scored 1,595 out of a possible 2,500 points in the network’s Top States study, finishing in the top 50% or better in each of 10 major categories. The commonwealth came in second to North Carolina in 2023, but this year, the two states switched positions, with North Carolina ranking second. In 2022, Virginia ranked third overall.
In 2021, Virginia took the top spot in the annual rankings of business-friendly states for a second, consecutive time. Virginia also won the top ranking in 2019, 2011, 2009 and 2007, the first year CNBC began ranking the states. CNBC did not rank the states in 2020 due to the pandemic.
“How exciting and what an honor it is to have CNBC here recognizing Virginia as the top state for business,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said during a live interview from Virginia Beach on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Thursday. “I think we work incredibly well together. Economic development is a team sport, and our administration has taken huge strides over the last 2 1/2 years to address some real areas of importance. Talent is always top of the list, and our talent accelerator is now rated the top talent accelerator in America.
“Business-ready sites and infrastructure continue to be a top need for businesses, and we’ve allocated $550 million over the last three years to make sure that we have shovel-ready sites. And then, finally, of course, power — our all-American, all-of-the above power plan is taking big strides. Yesterday, we announced a big step for a potential siting of a small modular reactor in Virginia to be the first.”
Youngkin added that he believes $5 billion in tax cuts in the first two years of his term were key to Virginia’s success in attracting and retaining companies. “We made Virginia’s business climate even better by streamlining regulations and cutting the red tape,” the governor said, adding that the state has 240,000 more people employed than it did before his term began in January 2022. He also noted that former members of the military — including 700,000 veterans living in Virginia — are “one of the things that make Virginia great.”
Asked if Virginia is in play this year in the presidential election, Youngkin said he believes it is, even though President Joe Biden won Virginia by 10 points over former President Donald Trump in 2020. “The next year,” the governor said, “we’re able to win it by two.” Youngkin bypassed a question about whether he believed he was still a possible Trump vice presidential candidate pick, but said he is “very enthusiastic about the prospects for President Trump and whoever he chooses as his running mate.”
Highlighting the state’s divided government, House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott lauded Youngkin and Democratic legislators Sen. Louise Lucas and Del. Luke Torian, who chair the two legislative bodies’ finance committees. “We invested in our future — our children. Virginia is back on top,” Scott tweeted. “We raised minimum wages and gave teachers pay raises! More importantly, we protected reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy.”
CNBC based this year’s rankings on 128 metrics — up from 86 last year — across 10 categories: workforce; infrastructure; cost of doing business; economy; life, health and inclusion; technology and innovation; business friendliness; education; access to capital; and cost of living. Infrastructure was the most heavily weighted category this year.
“With six wins — and three in the last five years — Virginia is our most decorated state. It’s easy to see why,” CNBC special correspondent Scott Cohn said. “In both Republican and Democratic administrations, the state has shown how much it cares about business, and how carefully it can listen to companies. Plus, year after year, Virginia offers the training, talent, and the infrastructure for success.”
According to CNBC, Texas, Georgia and Florida rounded out the top five spots in this year’s rankings.
“Being named America’s Top State for Business is a testament to the incredible progress being made throughout the Commonwealth, not least by the many thousands of businesses who call Virginia home,” Virginia Economic Development Partnership President and CEO Jason El Koubi said in a statement. “This recognition is years in the making, and I am incredibly grateful to all of our state, regional and local partners that contributed to this distinction.”
Barry DuVal, president and CEO of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and a former state secretary of commerce and trade, issued a statement as well: “Virginia’s ranking as the Top State for Business reaffirms our conviction that Virginia is the premier state for business. It highlights our strong education system, availability of business-ready sites and Virginia’s commitment to economic development and a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. This recognition also supports our strategic approach to grow Virginia’s position as the leading state for business through our targeted policy recommendations in Blueprint Virginia 2030.”
Another former state secretary of commerce and trade, Todd Haymore, now managing director of Hunton Andrews Kurth’s Global Economic Development, Commerce, and Government Relations Group, said, “Over 25 years in public and private sector economic development, I’ve learned that the fundamentals like education, workforce, infrastructure and site readiness are what really matter, and that is where Virginia shines. Virginia is back in the top spot because we invest in the fundamentals, maintain a bipartisan commitment to pro-growth and pro-business policies, and because we have really smart, talented people working to create jobs and opportunity, from the governor’s office to the legislature, and from VEDP all the way down to the local level.”
Virginia’s category rankings in the 2024 CNBC Top States for Business were as follows:
- First place — Education
- Third — Infrastructure
- Fifth — Business friendliness
- Eighth — Access to capital
- Ninth — Workforce
- 10th — Economy
- 15th — Technology and innovation
- 19th — Cost of living
- 19th — Quality of life
- 24th — Cost of doing business
Virginia Business Deputy Editor Kate Andrews contributed to this article.
Senators hear case for cutting American workweek to 32 hours
WASHINGTON — In 1955, Walter Reuther, head of what was then known as the United Automobile Workers (UAW), told a Senate hearing that coming technological advancements would make a four-day workweek possible.
That was the last Senate hearing on the subject for nearly 70 years. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee finally ended the drought Thursday as lawmakers debated legislation, sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, that would reduce the standard workweek to 32 hours without cutting employees’ pay.
“…Despite an explosion in technology and a massive increase in worker productivity, nothing has changed,” Sanders said. “Think about that, huge transitions we have seen in the economy. But in terms of the workweek, nothing has changed.”
Sanders said that the goal of his bill was to ensure that working-class citizens benefit from the revolutionary changes in the workplace over the past seven decades.
Introducing his measure Wednesday, Sanders said that U.S. workers had become over 400% more productive since the 1940s. Even so, people now are working longer hours at lower wages, he said.
UAW President Shawn Fain said that automation now allows a single worker to do what used to require 12 workers. Companies’ obsession with ensuring productivity every second of the day has come at the cost of workers, he said.
“When people reach the end of their lives they never say I wish I’d make more money,” Fain told senators. “What they wish for is they wish they had more time. There was a time when this phenomenon was supposed to lead to workers getting our time back, getting some of their lives back.”
Forty percent of Americans work at least 50 hours a week, and 18% of today’s workforce works more than 60 hours a week, according to research cited in Sanders’ statement.
A 2019 study published by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that working more than 60 hours a week led to a decline in workers’ mental health compared to those who worked standard hours.
“It causes an increase in cortisol levels, which lead to heart disease, cancers, strokes,” Fain said about working extended hours during the week. “But given all those facts as someone is lucky enough to get to retire, typically when they weren’t willing to work themselves to death their entire life, they face knee replacements, hip replacements, shoulder surgeries, and the rest of their lives, figuring out how they’re going to survive.”
But Liberty Vittert, a data science professor at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, said that studies suggesting that working fewer hours leads to happiness are flawed. Vittert said that many of the studies showing an increase in happiness find the effects are short-term and that long-term studies show that happiness does not increase over time.
In addition, only companies that can cut out extra meetings and coffee breaks during the day participate in these studies, excluding more than 70% of the U.S. job economy, Vittert said.
“If you want to see those same employees really stressed out, just see what happens when their employers lay them off to hire part-time workers instead, or have to close their doors because they cannot make enough revenue,” Vittert said.
She also pointed out that older workers who cannot complete the same amount of work in fewer hours are also at a disadvantage.
Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, the ranking Republican on the panel, emphasized that there is no law preventing companies from already enacting a 32-hour workweek and that federal intervention is not necessary.
“Let’s give flexibility to workers and employers — don’t have government come in and intervene,” said Roger King, senior labor and employment counsel at the HR Policy Association.
Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Media and Culture. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.
To support a more inclusive workforce, Va. lawmakers must unite around this bill
Virginia’s worker shortage is one of the commonwealth’s biggest barriers to economic growth and prosperity: According to data from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, there are just 60 available workers for every 100 open jobs statewide. But Virginia’s talent-starved labor market is hardly unique. Nationally, there are seven workers for every 10 available jobs. The mismatch between available roles and work-capable individuals has been exacerbated by a 15-year decline in civilian labor force participation.
Against this backdrop, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have a rare opportunity to forge political consensus by uniting around a bipartisan proposal that creates pathways to long-term employment for individuals without a college degree.
Earlier this month, the Virginia House of Delegates unanimously passed HB 680 to codify these skills-based hiring reforms. But this week, Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee tabled this bill indefinitely despite strong national bipartisan support for skills-based hiring. Senate Democrats owe Virginians — especially those locked out of meaningful work because they lack a college degree — an explanation for why this issue suddenly became so polarized and partisan.
The proposal follows a sweeping executive action by Gov. Glenn Youngkin last spring, which directed state agencies to remove unnecessary college degree requirements from job postings. The move sent a powerful message that individuals’ specific skills, experience, and motivation to work matter more than a four-year degree loosely tied to the job market.
It’s emblematic of a broader conversation occurring in statehouses and corporate board rooms across the country about a shift to a “skills-first” economy where hiring decisions are based not on educational pedigree, but real-world measures of skill and competency. Employers have historically relied on four-year degrees as a proxy for talent and fit — an approach that disadvantages a vast segment of the American population who do not have a traditional college degree.
Nationally, 70 million workers are STARs — an industry term coined by Opportunity@Work, an organization led by former Obama White House economic policy advisor Byron Auguste — meaning “skilled through alternative routes” such as community college, military service or on-the-job training but lack a four-year degree. The 3.8 million STARs in Virginia represent 47% of the state’s workforce.
To tap into this pool of skilled workers, state governments are leading the way in rethinking the connection between postsecondary education and employment. To date, at least 16 states have taken steps to eliminate bachelor’s degree requirements for substantial portions of government jobs.
A growing number of private sector companies are beginning to use skills and experience instead of degrees to screen applicants for middle-skill roles. In neighboring Maryland, for instance, Lockheed Martin pledged to create 8,000 new apprentice opportunities in five years through internships for high school students and training programs for new and mid-career employees. The company met its goal in just four years.
For Virginia, a shift to skills-based hiring could unleash the vast potential of millions of Virginians with some training beyond high school, but no degree. Just 44.3% of Virginians between ages 25 and 64 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. For every 1,000 undergraduates currently enrolled in Virginia’s colleges and universities, more than 2,100 state residents attended college but did not complete it.
Perpetuating the privileged status for degrees in the hiring process for jobs is bad labor, economic and social policy. Millions of work-capable Virginians are underemployed or on the sidelines because of inflated job requirements. This results in lower wages, lower tax revenues and increased reliance on safety net programs. More importantly, it limits their ability to create value for themselves and society.
We can do better, and Virginia should embrace this shift to a talent economy that recognizes every individual’s ability and desire to contribute. First, lawmakers should remove unnecessary degree requirements for state jobs. The solution is simple: HB 680 would codify skills-based hiring policies and practices for state jobs into law.
Second, workers and learners need access to short-term alternative paths to attain the skills that align with labor-market demand. Last year, in a bipartisan move, Virginia lawmakers overhauled workforce training to improve program delivery and outcomes for learners, workers, and employers.
Third, lawmakers should change state funding formulas to level the playing field and enable residents to access state dollars to pursue any program that leads to demonstrable job placement or wage gains — not just a traditional four-year degree program.
Finally, Virginia should overhaul the barriers within our welfare-to-work system that disincentivize underemployed or unemployed Virginians from pursuing work or earning a higher wage. A major obstacle is the phenomenon known as the “benefits cliff” that occurs when a slight increase in earnings abruptly disqualifies an individual or family from receiving needed benefits for food, housing, child care or medical care.
Workforce inclusion and economic growth are two sides of the same coin. To maintain Virginia’s economic vitality, lawmakers in Richmond should unite around these common-sense — and long-overdue — shifts in policy. The commonwealth can unlock the full potential of its workforce — and advance equality of opportunity for more of its residents. But doing so requires that we reconsider our outdated assumptions about the value of a college degree and expand opportunity to every Virginian with the skill and motivation to contribute.
Steven Taylor is director and senior fellow for education and workforce at Stand Together Trust, an Arlington-based nonprofit organization founded by Kansas billionaire Charles Koch that focuses on education and policy initiatives. He was previously founder and CEO of ED2WORK, a national advocacy, research and strategy firm.
Jonathan Wolfson is based in the Richmond area and is chief legal officer and policy director of the Cicero Institute, a Texas-based public policy organization started by tech entrepreneur and investor Joe Lonsdale. Wolfson served as the U.S. Department of Labor’s deputy assistant secretary for policy during the Trump administration and was a litigator and adviser with McGuireWoods from 2012 to 2019.