Virginia’s Community Colleges (VCC) announced Wednesday it would launch an online portal, CollegeAnywhereVA.org, to connect current and prospective students to the more than 10,000 online courses that are offered through its 23 member colleges.
“Virginia’s students are facing unprecedented circumstances that affect every aspect of their lives, including higher education,” VCC Chancellor Glenn DuBois said in a statement. “There’s no national consensus on when life will return to ‘normal,’ and a recent national study of high school seniors found that one in six students who intended to enroll full-time at a four-year institution are reconsidering their plans.”
Courses are available in subjects including humanities, social sciences, physical sciences and foreign language, information technology, health and medicine and business.
In addition to online courses, CollegeAnywhereVA.org will also connect current and prospective students with advisers to assist with the application and course enrollment processes.
“Our goal with CollegeAnywhereVA is to ensure that those students and any prospective student in Virginia know they can find the right course or online program through their community college,” DuBois added.
Online courses can count toward an associate degree or certificate program at a community college or count toward a degree or certificate program at another institution. VCC has guaranteed transfer agreements with private and public colleges and universities in Virginia.
VCC was founded in 1966 and currently serves approximately 270,000 students each year.
“Though the 17.7% decline indicates that the volume of initial claims has retreated from its recent peak, it may not return to pre-pandemic levels for some time,” VEC Economist Timothy Aylor said in a statement.
Although the number of initial claims for unemployment decreased, the number of Virginians who have continued to file for unemployment insurance benefits reached 376,689 last week — a 10% increase from the previous week. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file unemployment claims each week in order to continue receiving benefits.
More than 3.1 million people in the United States filed initial claims for unemployment last week, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, marking a total of 33.4 million Americans who have filed jobless claims during the last seven weeks.
The regions of the state that have been most impacted are Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads.
Below are the top 10 localities, listed by number of initial unemployment claims, for the week ending May 2:
Fairfax County, 7,029
Prince William County, 3,541
Virginia Beach, 3,093
Loudoun County, 2,399
Richmond, 2,290
Chesterfield County, 2,185
Henrico County, 2,163
Norfolk, 1,874
Chesapeake, 1,693
Newport News, 1,619
Last week’s U.S. claims were down by 677,000. For the week that ended April 18, the total number of people claiming benefits in all unemployment programs for the week was 18.9 million, up 2.4 million from the previous week. During the same week in 2019, there were 1.6 million people claiming benefits.
In the week ending April 18, 11 states reported nearly 1 million people claiming Pandemic Unemployment Assistance through the CARES Act. It provides temporary benefits for people who are not eligible for regular or traditional unemployment insurance.
Seven states reported 52,305 individuals claiming Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (also through the CARES Act), which provides up to an additional 13 weeks of regular or traditional unemployment insurance benefits to those who have exhausted their eligibility.
The seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 15.5% for the week that ended April 25, a 3.1% increase from the previous week.
The states with the highest unemployment rates for the week ending on April 18 were Vermont, West Virginia, Michigan, Rhode Island, Nevada, Connecticut, Puerto Rico, Georgia, New York and Washington. States with the largest increases in initial claims for the week that ended on April 25 were Washington, Georgia, New York, Oregon and Alabama. The largest decreases happened in California, Florida, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Reston-based higher education software company Ellucian announced Wednesday it has named Sharon Loeb as its chief marketing officer.
She will lead marketing initiatives and digital transformation for the company.
Loeb was most recently the executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Cengage Learning, where she led marketing, communications and public affairs for the company. Before that, she was vice president of marketing for McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from York University in Toronto and her master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Toronto.
Ellucian was founded in 1968 and provides products such as student information systems, data analytics tools and graduation-tracking platforms for more than 2,700 customers in higher education.
Fairfax-based IT and management consulting contractor Axiologic Solutions LLC announced Wednesday it has named Andy Baratta as its president, who will lead business development and growth strategy for the company.
Baratta was most recently the chief operating officer at Fairfax-based Data and Analytic Solutions Inc. He also previously worked as a vice president at Fairax-based ManTech International Corp.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, his master’s degree in computer science from American University and his master’s degree in business administration from Duquesne University.
Axiologic Solutions was founded in 2009 and provides information technology consulting to federal government clients in the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the intelligence community.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to COVID-19-related solutions.
After being approached by the state government, the Herndon-based Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) partnered with Virginia Beach-based DroneUp to test how drones can assist medical professionals in delivering test samples and personal protective equipment in no-contact, emergency situations, DroneUp announced this week.
“Our response to [the request from the state] at first was, ‘We don’t know, but there’s only one way that we can find out,'” DroneUp Training Director Brendan Stewart said.
Although DroneUp’s equipment is typically used for data collection and other flight services, CIT and DroneUp began testing in early April how the companies’ combined technology could adapt to emergency situations. The tests were conducted in partnership with UPS’s drone delivery subsidiary, UPS Flight Forward, and Ohio-based drone company Workhorse Group Inc.
“I am encouraged to see so many private sector partners stepping up and thinking innovatively as we work together to combat COVID-19,” Gov. Ralph Northam said in a statement. “Drones can be an important way to deliver medical supplies while people stay home to adhere to our social distancing guidelines.”
“We’ve proven through ongoing commercial drone delivery programs that effective drone delivery of medical products is faster than conventional ground-based transportation,” Scott Price, UPS chief strategy and transformation officer, said in a statement. “Drones offer a low-touch option for delivery of lab specimens and medical products that could make a significant impact in an urgent response application.”
A 3D model of drop zones practiced by DroneUp. Model courtesy DroneUp
The organizations developed a testing site at the former Saint Paul’s College site in Lawrenceville. The companies ran tests that increased in difficulty as the days went on. Out of 103 “drops” — or tests — DroneUp was able to successfully deliver 100 packages to partner organizations that had stations set up around the 55-acre campus, Stewart said.
“Much to our surprise in developing these test scenarios, not only could we do it effectively, but our performance was really quite incredible,” Stewart said. “We think that this is something that in an emergency situation could actually be scaled and actually be usable with current technology and current regulations.”
DroneUp started with a control test, having drone pilots drop the packages on a large, open area with few hazards. But as the tests progressed, pilots had to maneuver around obstacles, including buildings, power lines and vehicles.
“We had to set up an air traffic control solution to keep the drones from hitting each other and organize them effectively to make those drops happen,” Stewart said. “The interesting thing for us is that as the situations got more difficult and more dynamic, our pilots were able to adapt to those very rapidly to make the deliveries happen.”
Now that the drones have successfully been tested, the companies are working on a white paper to be sent to The White House with recommendations for best practices and a blueprint for how other organizations and agencies can deploy similar projects.
The drones won’t be deployed by Virginia’s state government unless there’s an emergency situation in which it’s necessary, Stewart said. But the company has 10,000 pilots nationwide that are ready to be used at any time for emergency medical deliveries related to COVID-19, he added.
“The exercise in Lawrenceville demonstrated our ability to pivot and adapt to the needs of the market really, really quickly, Stewart said. “We hope we don’t have to use it, but we do have that capability in our back pocket if we need to.”
The development team that created plans for the failed $1.5 billion Navy Hill proposal in downtown Richmond has returned to the scene, this time with a lower-stakes proposal that would not require funding by the city, a sticking point in the earlier plan.
Capital City Partners LLC, the partnership between Michael Hallmark of Los Angeles-based Future Cities LLC and Susan Eastridge of Fairfax-based Concord Eastridge Inc., submitted an unsolicited proposal May 1 to purchase the city’s Public Safety Building at 500 N. 10th St. for $3.175 million in the next 90 days. If the plan moves forward, the building would be demolished. In its place the developers would erect an office tower with 150,000 square feet dedicated to VCU Health System administrators and physicians, plus 150,000 square feet of Class A office space and 20,000 square feet of ground-level retail space that would include a pharmacy. The VCU Health project was originally proposed as an added incentive in conjunction with the Navy Hill project.
The project also would include new locations for The Doorways and Ronald McDonald House Charities, nonprofit organizations that provide space and hospitality for families of patients, and space for VCU Child Care. The entire deal would be funded through private investors — at an expected cost of more than $350 million, according to the developers — and would not rely on city funding or a tax-increment financing (or TIF) model, according to the developers. They predict that the development, on a property which currently brings in no tax revenue, would bring in $60 million in local taxes over the next 20 years.
Richmond-based architecture firm SMBW would design the project, according to the proposal, which comes with letters of support from officials with VCU Health System, Ronald McDonald House Charities, The Doorways and the VA Bio+Tech Park, which is adjacent to the site. CBRE’s Richmond office appraised the property, a 2.92-acre site.
The developers also propose rebuilding East Clay Street between 9th and 10th streets. East Clay Street is currently interrupted by the public safety building.
Missing from the proposal is any direct reference to NH District Corp., the group founded by Dominion Energy Inc. President and CEO Thomas F. Farrell II with other Richmond business leaders to redevelop the 10-block area dubbed Navy Hill. The group’s $1.5 billion development plan, which was rejected in February by Richmond City Council, included a partly publicly funded $235 million replacement for the Richmond Coliseum, along with office space, residences, retail and a luxury hotel. Virginia Commonwealth University‘s Center for Urban and Regional Analysis estimated that the project, which would have taken four to five years to complete, would have created 9,300 permanent jobs and 12,500 temporary construction jobs.
The aborted Navy Hill project was championed by Mayor Levar Stoney but met with city residents’ objections to secrecy surrounding early negotiations, high rents and a proposed special tax district to direct local taxes to pay for part of the new arena, among other concerns. Proponents, however, saw the project as a necessity to bring jobs and growth to Richmond’s downtown.
“There is sincere urgency to this offer, and time is of the essence for this land sale,” Eastridge and Hallmark wrote in their May 1 letter to interim city Chief Administrative Officer Lenora G. Reid. “The key tenants proposed for the development, VCU Health System, The Doorways, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and VCU Child Care need these new facilities now. As they were originally intended to benefit from expanded facilities in the proposed Navy Hill development, their plans have been stalled, creating uncertainty for their leadership, for essential workers and staff, and for their philanthropic supporters.”
The Doorways currently operates in a 117-room former hotel and typically lodges 150 children and adults, and Ronald McDonald House Charities currently has nine guest rooms at its facility on Monument Avenue. Capital City Partners says it expects to complete the project by the third quarter of 2023.
Richmond‘s regional chamber of commerce, ChamberRVA, on Wednesday launched its RVA Small Business Relief Fund to provide grants to eligible small businesses in the Richmond region that have been harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The effort is a partnership with Facebook Inc., which seeded the fund with $250,000 to be used in the first round of grants, which will be split evenly among 100 recipients.
“Small businesses are essential to the local economy, and we are pleased to partner with ChamberRVA to support grants for local businesses in the greater Richmond community,” Facebook Community Development Regional Manager Amber Tillman said in a statement. “Henrico is our home, and we hope that these grants will help provide relief to small businesses dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.” (One of Facebook’s data centers is located in Henrico County.)
Eligible applicants must be based in the Richmond region, which includes Richmond and the town of Ashland as well as Chesterfield, Powhatan, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent and Charles City counties. Businesses must have between two and 25 full-time employees; have demonstrated a negative financial impact from COVID-19; have demonstrated a need for capital to support payroll, rent, mortgage, utility, or other similar expenses; and have demonstrated a focus on reopening as COVID-19 guidance and restrictions change. Sole proprietors are not eligible to apply.
The fund aims to provide small businesses grants to be used for rent, employee salaries and operating costs.
ChamberRVA anticipates that the fund will distribute grants in multiple funding rounds as donations allow, according to a release.
The Greater Richmond Chamber Foundation will act as an adviser during the grant application and dispersion progress. A grant advisory committee will review the applications and make decisions regarding awards.
Applications will be open for less than a week — opening on May 13 and closing on May 19. All applications will receive a decision by May 27.
The University of Virginia announced Wednesday that Nicole Thorne Jenkins will be the dean of the McIntire School of Commerce, effective July 1.
Jenkins is currently vice dean of the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky, where she is also the Von Allmen chaired professor of accountancy. She has also previously been on the faculty at Vanderbilt University in Nashville and Washington University in St. Louis. She will succeed Carl P. Zeithaml, who announced in 2019 that he would be stepping down after 23 years in the position.
Before her time in higher education, Jenkins worked for Coopers & Lybrand and Price Waterhouse LLP.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from Drexel University and her doctorate in accounting from the University of Iowa. Her research focuses on financial reporting failures and share repurchases.
Liberty University announced Tuesday that it has surpassed 100,000 online students. The Lynchburg-based university’s previous online enrollment record was 98,000 students in 2014, and as of January 2020, it remained the state’s largest university by enrollment.
“Liberty has been a leader in providing distance education as an alternative to the traditional classroom since the mid-1980s,” Liberty President Jerry Falwell Jr. said in a statement. “Meeting this enrollment goal at this time shows that our programs remain an attractive option for working adults who need the flexibility, convenience, and affordability that our online programs provide.”
The private Christian university’s distance learning program started in 1985 when the university’s School of Lifelong Learning started offering mail-order courses through VHS tapes. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Liberty began offering its programs online.
Liberty now has 450 of its academic programs online, ranging from undergraduate to doctoral degree offerings.
“I remember stepping into this role in 2005 when we were excited to enroll 9,000 online students,” Ron Kennedy, executive vice president for enrollment management and marketing, said in a statement. “We made it our mission to meet people‘s needs — giving them affordable tuition so that as many people as possible could benefit from a Christ-centered education.”
The proposed budget called for increasing annual, non-need-based VTAG aid from $3,400 to $4,000 per student for Virginia residents enrolled in on-campus classes at private, nonprofit colleges and universities in Virginia, which includes Liberty, Washington & Lee University, the University of Richmond and Hampden-Sydney College. About 23,000 students received VTAG aid in the 2019-2020 school year, according to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).
The budget bill, which is awaiting the governor’s signature by May 22, includes a proposal to require phasing out VTAG support for online students beginning fall 2020, according to SCHEV.
“The language makes allowance for those students that would normally be taking classes on campus but are required to attend online due to COVID-19,” SCHEV spokesperson Laura Osberger said.
“We’ll have something more to say about VTAG soon,” university spokesperson Scott Lamb said Tuesday.
Regional economic development organization The Greater Richmond Partnership Inc. (GRP) announced Tuesday it has hired Audrey Polk as its vice president of business development.
Polk most recently worked as the existing business representative at the Henrico Economic Development Authority. Before that, she was a research analyst for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in international studies from Virginia Commonwealth University, with minors in economics and political science, and is taking MicroMasters courses in data, economics and development policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
GRP leads regional economic development efforts and recruits companies for employment and taxable capital investment in Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Sign In
Free Newsletter
