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Tag: education

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.

Liza Wilson Durant, George Mason University's associate provost for strategic initiatives and community engagement, speaks at the Dec. 6, 2024, grand opening of the university's Fuse tech hub. Photo by Courtney Mabeus-Brown
Liza Wilson Durant, George Mason University’s associate provost for strategic initiatives and community engagement, speaks at the Dec. 6, 2024, grand opening of the university’s Fuse tech hub. Photo by Courtney Mabeus-Brown

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:

2024 Virginia 500: Education

MAKOLA M. ABDULLAH

PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY, PETERSBURG

 

 

JAVAUNE ADAMS-GASTON

PRESIDENT, NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY, NORFOLK

 

 

Lance CollinsLANCE 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.”

Jane Batten. Courtesy William & Mary’s Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences

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. 

Directory of business schools in Virginia

Public colleges & universities

(nonprofit, based in Virginia)

CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY

Joseph W. Luter III School of Business
Newport News | 757-594-7215

cnu.edu/schoolofbusiness

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

School of Business
Fairfax | 703-993-1880

business.gmu.edu

JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY

College of Business
Harrisonburg | 540-568-2785

jmu.edu/cob

LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY

College of Business & Economics
Farmville | 434-395-2042

longwood.edu/business

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY

School of Business
Norfolk | 757-823-8920

nsu.edu/business

OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY

Strome College of Business
Norfolk | 757-683-3520

odu.edu/business

RADFORD UNIVERSITY 

Davis College of Business and Economics
Radford | 540-831-5187

radford.edu/cobe

UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON

College of Business
Fredericksburg | 540-654-1019

business.umw.edu

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

Darden School of Business
Charlottesville | 434-924-3900

darden.virginia.edu

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

McIntire School of Commerce
Charlottesville | 434-924-3865

commerce.virginia.edu

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA’S COLLEGE AT WISE

Department of Business and Economics
Wise | 276-328-0102

uvawise.edu/academics/departments/business-economics

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY

School of Business
Richmond | 804-828-1595

business.vcu.edu

VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE

Economics and Business Department
Lexington | 540-464-7234

vmi.edu/academics/departments/economics-and-business

VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY

Reginald F. Lewis College of Business
Petersburg | 804-524-6719

business.vsu.edu

VIRGINIA TECH

Pamplin College of Business
Blacksburg | 540-231-6601

pamplin.vt.edu

WILLIAM & MARY

Raymond A. Mason School of Business
Williamsburg | 757-221-4100

mason.wm.edu

Private colleges & universities

(nonprofit, based in Virginia)

AVERETT UNIVERSITY

Danville |  434-791-5600

averett.edu/academics/majors-and-programs/undergraduate/business

BLUEFIELD COLLEGE

Caudill School of Business
Bluefield | 276-326-4226

bluefield.edu/academics/colleges-schools/caudill-school-of-business

BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE

Department of Economics and Business Administration
Bridgewater | 540-828-8000

bridgewater.edu/academics/divisions/economics-business-administration

EASTERN MENNONITE  UNIVERSITY

Business and Leadership
Harrisonburg | 540-432-4000

emu.edu/business

EMORY & HENRY COLLEGE

School of Business
Emory | 276-944-6838

ehc.edu/academics/school-business

FERRUM COLLEGE

Business Administration Program
Ferrum | 800-868-9797

ferrum.edu/school-of-arts-and-sciences/business-administration

HAMPDEN-SYDNEY COLLEGE

Economics and Business Department
Hampden Sydney | 434-223-6104

hsc.edu/academics/economics-and-business

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY

School of Business
Hampton | 757-727-5361

biz.hamptonu.edu

HOLLINS UNIVERSITY

Roanoke | 540-362-6000

hollins.edu/academics/majors-minors/business-major

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

School of Business
Lynchburg | 434-592-7321

liberty.edu/business

UNIVERSITY OF LYNCHBURG

College of Business
Lynchburg | 434-544-8100

lynchburg.edu/academics/college-of-business

Mary Baldwin University

Staunton | 540-887-7019

marybaldwin.edu/academics/business

MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY

College of Business, Innovation, Leadership and Technology
Arlington | 703-284-5747

marymount.edu/academics/college-of-business-innovation-leadership-and-technology

Randolph College

Economics and Business
Lynchburg | 434-947-8000 

randolphcollege.edu/economics

RANDOLPH-MACON COLLEGE

Economics, Business and Accounting
Ashland | 804-752-7200

rmc.edu/departments/economics-and-business

REGENT UNIVERSITY

School of Business & Leadership
Virginia Beach | 757-352-4127

regent.edu/school-of-business-and-leadership

ROANOKE COLLEGE

Business & Economics Department
Salem | 540-375-2500

roanoke.edu/business

SHENANDOAH UNIVERSITY

School of Business
Winchester | 540-665-4572

su.edu/business

SOUTHERN VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

Business Management and Leadership
Buena Vista  | 540-261-8400

svu.edu/academics/programs/business

SWEET BRIAR COLLEGE

Social Sciences and Humanities: Business
Sweet Briar | 434-381-6100

sbc.edu/social-sciences-and-humanities/business

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND

Robins School of Business
Richmond | 804-289-8550

robins.richmond.edu

VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY

Sydney Lewis School of Business
Richmond | 804-257-5600

vuu.edu/academics-at-union/academic-schools/sydney-lewis-school-of-business

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

D. Henry Watts School of Professional Studies, Business Department
Virginia Beach | 757-455-3200

vwu.edu/academics/majors/business

WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY

The Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics
Lexington | 540-458-8602

wlu.edu/williams

Two-year, residential college

RICHARD BLAND COLLEGE of WILLIAM & MARY

Business Administration Program
Petersburg | 804-862-6100

rbc.edu

Community colleges

BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Business Management
Weyers Cave | 540-234-9261

brcc.edu/academics/programs/business-management

CENTRAL VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Lynchburg | 434-832-7600

centralvirginia.edu/programs-classes/business

DABNEY S. LANCASTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Business & Hospitality
Clifton Forge | 540-863-2800

dslcc.edu/program-cluster/business-hospitality

Danville Community College

Business & Marketing
Danville | 434-797-2222

danville.edu/major/business-marketing

EASTERN SHORE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Career and Technical Programs
Melfa | 757-789-1789

es.vccs.edu/academics/cte-programs

GERMANNA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Business Pathway
Fredericksburg, Locust Grove | 540-891-3000

germanna.edu/pathways/business

JOHN TYLER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Business, Management, Finance and Marketing
Chester, Midlothian | 804-706-5081, 804-594-1480

jtcc.edu/academics/career-clusters/business

LORD FAIRFAX COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Middletown, Warrenton | 540-351-1505

lfcc.edu/pathways-program/business

MOUNTAIN EMPIRE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Business and Information Technology
Big Stone Gap | 276-523-2400

mecc.edu/business-and-information-technology

NEW RIVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Dublin, Christiansburg | 540-674-3610

nr.edu/degrees/business.php

NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Alexandria, Annandale, Loudoun, Manassas, Woodbridge | 703-323-3000

nvcc.edu/academics/areas/business/index.html

PATRICK HENRY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Martinsville | 276-638-8777

patrickhenry.edu

PAUL D. CAMP COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Business & Management
Franklin, Suffolk, Smithfield | 757-569-6700

pdc.edu/explore-camp/business-management

PIEDMONT VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Business & Hospitality
Charlottesville  | 434-977-3900

pvcc.edu/area/business

RAPPAHANNOCK COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Glenns, Warsaw | 804-758-6700

rappahannock.edu

REYNOLDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

School of Business and Industrial Trades
Richmond, Henrico, Goochland | 804-371-3000

reynolds.edu/get_started/programs/business/default.aspx

SOUTHSIDE VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Alberta, Keysville, South Hill | 434-949-1000

southside.edu

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Business Path

Cedar Bluff | 276-964-2555

sw.edu/business-path

THOMAS NELSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Hampton, Williamsburg | 757-825-2700

tncc.edu/programs/pathways

TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach | 757-822-1111

tcc.edu/programs/career-pathways/business-computer-science-it

VIRGINIA HIGHLANDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Abingdon | 276-739-2400

vhcc.edu/current-students/pathways/business

VIRGINIA WESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Business & Professional Services
Roanoke | 540-857-8922

virginiawestern.edu/academics/business-professional-services/

WYTHEVILLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Galax, Marion | 276-223-4700

wcc.vccs.edu/pathways/business

Other schools

(offering undergraduate or graduate degrees)

AMERICAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Salem | 888-956-2732

an.edu

BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE

Hampton, Richmond, Virginia Beach | 866-948-0571

bryantstratton.edu/degrees/business

CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY

Fort Belvoir, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall | 989-774-3124

cmich.edu/colleges/cba/Pages/default.aspx

DEVRY UNIVERSITY

Arlington, Chesapeake | 866-338-7934

devry.edu/online-programs/career-fields/business.html

ECPI UNIVERSITY

College of Business

Richmond, Virginia Beach, Newport News, Norfolk, Roanoke, Manassas | 844-334-4466

ecpi.edu/college-of-business

SOUTH UNIVERSITY

Business & Technology Programsx
Glen Allen, Virginia Beach | 804-727-6800

southuniversity.edu/degree-programs/business-and-technology#cid-18

STRATFORD UNIVERSITY

The School of Business Administration
Alexandria, Woodbridge  | 855-444-5018

stratford.edu/business-administration

STRAYER UNIVERSITY

Alexandria, Arlington, Chesapeake, Chesterfield County, Fredericksburg, Loudoun County, Newport News, Virginia Beach, Woodbridge | 877-445-7180

strayer.edu/online-degrees/business

TROY UNIVERSITY

Sorrell College of Business
Chesapeake  | 757-512-2000

troy.edu/academics/colleges-schools/business/index.html

UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX

Arlington | 571-227-7075

phoenix.edu/degrees/business.html

Education: Getting their money’s worth

The past year brought more big donations to Virginia’s universities, as well as the installation of a few new presidents, while students and families remained focused on finances and return on investment.

In Virginia Business’ August 2023 cover story, “Money machine,” the magazine examined the soaring costs of a four-year degree over the past decades, as well as the expected career earnings of alumni from school to school. These factors and others are weighing heavily on the minds of many students and their families — whether they’re traditional college students arriving straight from high school or older students pursuing degrees to qualify for new jobs.

According to a 2021 report commissioned by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, a bachelor’s degree from a public, four-year university can add from $765,000 to more than $1 million to a person’s lifetime earnings in the United States. However, two-year associate degrees provide better short-term return on investment, according to a 2022 report by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. Associate degree and certificate holders brought in a median $141,000 in 10-year adjusted net earnings, compared with $107,000 for all college graduates.

Bachelor’s degrees are still important in many professional fields to get an entry-level job, but some employers — including the state government — have eliminated degree requirements for many jobs. In Virginia, 90% of all state jobs do not require a four-year degree now.

Additionally, the costs of a four-year university education can be steep; in Virginia, just over 1.1 million residents owed $43.8 billion in federal student loan debt last year, an average of $39,561, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Although the White House has made moves to forgive large swaths of student loan debt, legal challenges have stymied expansion, so just 21,500 Virginians and far have received loan forgiveness.

All of this adds up to more students and families considering alternatives to the traditional high school-to-college pipeline, which is more expensive than ever, running from an average of $27,940 to $57,570 a year for four-year colleges and universities when including room and board, according to the College Board.

“If you’re looking at affordability, you’re also looking at ROI,” explains Juan Espinoza, director of admissions and associate vice president for enrollment and degree management at Virginia Tech. “You can’t disconnect the two.”

Another major consideration on campuses is how colleges provide equitable opportunities for students while not running afoul of the Supreme Court’s ruling that race may not be taken into consideration in admissions. The June 2023 decision affects all four-year schools, with the exception of U.S. military service academies.

Furthermore, the University of Virginia said it would remove a “checkbox” for legacy admissions candidates on its applications, while Virginia Tech eliminated legacy admissions and early decision. The General Assembly passed bills this session to ban legacy admissions statewide, and Gov. Glenn Youngkin has said he supports merit-based admissions.

Among other developments in higher education over the past year, George Mason University’s business school received a
$50 million bequest in May 2023 from the late Loudoun County businessman Donald G. Costello, the largest individual gift in Mason’s 50-year history. Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute also received a $50 million gift last year from a foundation established by the estate of Richmond philanthropist Bill Goodwin’s late son, Hunter. And in Charlottesville, U.Va. received two $50 million donations last year — one from Ramon W. Breeden Jr. for business education and athletics, and the other from David and Kathleen LaCross, whose gift will go toward the Darden School of Business.   

Also, Gordon Robertson succeeded his famous late father, Pat Robertson, as chancellor of Virginia Beach-based Regent University in July 2023, and Peter Blake, SCHEV’s longtime director, stepped down at the end of 2023. Alan Edwards became SCHEV’s interim director in January, while the state council’s board continues its search for a permanent replacement. In Lynchburg, retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Dondi E. Costin became Liberty University’s new president, and pastor Jonathan Falwell, one of the sons of Liberty’s late founder, Jerry Falwell Sr., was tapped as chancellor.