A weekly digest of news and information about higher education in Virginia and across the country, compiled by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Opinions in articles are the authors' alone; sharing does not necessarily indicate agreement.

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Drones fly high at SW Virginia campuses

Southwest Virginia is getting into drones in a big way.

The region recently won a $2.2 million grant to the Industrial Development Authority in Wise, Va., for the Virginia Emerging Drone Industry Cluster Project, according to the White House blog. The grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) will allow Mountain Empire Community College to offer courses on drone operations and sensors, which will help support the emerging industry drone cluster in southwest Virginia.

Related: Old Dominion University and the Virginia Space Grant Consortium land $900,000 grant to create drone-focused curricul a; Virginia Tech teams with Alphabet to deliver burritos by drone.

Number of the week

That's the additional amount the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia has recommended that Virginia invest in higher education in the coming fiscal year, with an emphasis on financial aid and faculty salaries.

Prepare for 7.5% cut, governor warns institutions

Virginia’s public universities will likely have to budget for a 7.5% decrease in state funding in the next fiscal year, according to a letter sent Tuesday from the governor’s office, reports the Roanoke Times: SCHEV pledged "to protect as much as possible the investments in higher education made by the governor and the General Assembly, particularly the investments in access and affordability."

UVA to open $112M satellite campus in NoVa.

A partnership venture with Inova, the medical campus in Northern Virginia is expected to be open by 2021, r eports Charlottesville's Daily Progress.

State-of-the-art simulations help train EMTs and paramedics

At John Tyler Community College, students training to be emergency medical technicians and paramedics take their training outside the classroom. Using advanced simulators, they learn to render patient care in the back of a simulated ambulance as it bumps along a virtual road.

Question of the week
How much can a student expect to be charged in mandatory fees? That depends on the school, the year and the program, reports The New York Times, resulting in a situation that confuses, frustrates and angers many students and parents.

SCHEV

Thousands adrift academically after ITT Tech shutdown
The Daily Progress - November 01, 2016

Former ITT Tech nursing students struggle in effort to find new paths
GoDanRiver.com - November 02, 2016

Virginia Higher Education

U.Va. controversy highlights conflicting choices at public institutions
Virginia Business - November 1, 2016

How Liberty University built Virginia's largest online campus
Virginia Business - November 1, 2016

Jurors deliberate, go home in Rolling Stone case
Fredericksburg.com - November 02, 2016

U.S. Secretary of Education gets first-hand look at Richmond Teacher Residency program
Virginia Commonwealth University News - November 02, 2016
...that we face in schools can be best solved in partnership with higher education. And the commitment of VCU to the Richmond schools is noteworthy...

National Higher Education

Should policymakers make college free or better support institutions?
Brookings Institution - November 3, 2016

Making sense of the two candidates' plans on student debt
The New York Times - November 03, 2016

Report and Disclose: State Oversight of Institutional Performance in Higher Education
American Enterprise Institute - November 03, 2016
This report offers recommendations for states looking to shore up, standardize, and streamline their regulatory frameworks.

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Learn more about the State Council of Higher Education for VIrginia and The Virginia Plan for Higher Education at www.schev.edu.
Feedback welcome at schevcommunications@schev.edu.

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