State Board for Community Colleges to Consider 2021-22 Fees at May Meeting

In accordance with Section 23.1-307 (D) of the Code of Virginia, the State Board for Community Colleges provides notice that it will consider tuition and mandatory fee increases for Virginia’s Community Colleges, effective fall 2021, at 9 a.m. on May 20, 2021, via a virtual meeting.

The State Board will consider mandatory fee increases of between 0 percent and 1.2 percent for all undergraduate students, subject to provisions of the 2021 session of the General Assembly. The maximum potential increase equates to a tuition rate of $158.84 per credit-hour for in-state students and would result in a net annual increase of $55.20 for a student enrolling in 30 credit-hours during the academic year. The community colleges will use revenue generated from any increase in mandatory fees to pay for mandatory cost increases, contractual obligations, debt service, and proposed adjustments to student fees.

Written comments from the public will be accepted through May 19 and will be made available to the Board before action on tuition is taken. Written comments may be sent to Rose Marie Owen, Executive Assistant to the Chancellor, at rmowen@vccs.edu, or they may be mailed to the attention of Rose Marie Owen at:

Office of the Chancellor
Virginia Community College System
300 Arboretum Parkway
Richmond, Virginia 23236.

Marcia Conston announced as next president of Tidewater Community College

Glenn DuBois, chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges, announced Tuesday that Marcia Conston, currently of Charlotte, North Carolina, will become the next president of Tidewater Community College. She will assume the role at the beginning of 2020.

“Marcia Conston is an impressive higher education leader who has delivered results in many of the categories TCC is focused on improving, including enrollment management, student retention and marketing,” DuBois said. “I believe she will be a good fit for the college and the Hampton Roads community and I look forward to seeing what TCC can accomplish under her leadership.”

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Marcia Conston as the sixth President of Tidewater Community College,” said Terri Thompson, chair of the TCC Board. “Dr. Conston’s vast experience in student success and cultivating community partnerships will prove invaluable addressing the educational and economic challenges facing our region. We look forward to a seamless transition and I am proud to be a part of this historic selection.”

Conston has worked in higher education for more than 30 years. She began her career as the director of Institutional Research at Jackson State University in Mississippi in 1987.

She went to Benedict College, in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1994 to become the vice president for Institutional Effectiveness. In 2001, she became the vice president for Enrollment and Student Success Services at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina – the position she held for nearly 20 years.

Conston has also taught throughout her career, serving as a part-time associate professor at Benedict College in 1995-96, and as an adjunct instructor at Wingate University for two years beginning in 2012. As an evaluator for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), Conston has evaluated 14 institutions for reaccreditation, including two Virginia community colleges.

She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Jackson State University; a master’s degree from Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury, North Carolina; and a doctorate from the University of Southern Mississippi.

“I am humbled and honored to be selected as the next president of Tidewater Community College and look forward to using my experiences to help students achieve their full potential,” Conston said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to work with the esteemed TCC faculty and staff, as well as, engage with educational, business and industry partners. I am thankful to the Board for this opportunity.”

Conston’s selection ends a national search that attracted 80 applicants. She will become the college’s sixth permanent president, and will succeed Gregory T. DeCinque, who has served as the college’s interim president since July, 2018.

As a part of Virginia’s Community College System, TCC serves the 1.1 million residents of the South Hampton Roads area with four fully comprehensive campuses and five regional centers. As the second largest community college in Virginia, TCC enrolls more than 32,000 students. Founded in 1968, the college is the largest provider of higher education and workforce development training and services in the region.

Learn about everything TCC offers at open house on all campuses, June 22

Bet you didn’t know Tidewater Community College offers 150-plus programs ranging from engineering to the visual and culinary arts to cybersecurity to a plethora of options in computer science.

Or maybe you’re looking to transfer to the four-year school of your dreams and want to get those general education requirements out of the way without accruing a bunch of student debt.

Are you transitioning military? Were you waitlisted at your first choice school? Looking for a promotion? Discover all that community college offers at TCC’s open house on June 22 from 9 a.m. until noon.

You can find out about applying for financial aid or using your GI Bill benefits. Apply for admission onsite. Open house will be at the following locations:

Chesapeake Campus: 1428 Cedar Road
Norfolk Campus: 300 Granby St.
Portsmouth Campus: 120 Campus Drive
Virginia Beach Campus: Advanced Technology Center, 1800 College Crescent

Walk-ins are welcome, but you can also register for the event. For questions, email enroll@tcc.edu or call 757-822-1111.

State Board for Community Colleges to Set 2019-20 Tuition and Fees at May Meeting

In accordance with Section 23.1-307 (D) of the Code of Virginia, the State Board for Community Colleges provides notice that it will consider tuition and mandatory fee increases for Virginia’s Community Colleges, effective fall 2019, at 9 a.m., May 16, 2019, at 300 Arboretum Place, Richmond, Va.

The State Board will consider tuition and mandatory fee increases of between 0 percent and 2.4 percent for all undergraduate students, subject to provisions of the 2019 session of the General Assembly. The community colleges will use revenue generated from any increase in tuition and mandatory fees to pay for:

Increased state employee compensation and fringe benefit costs;
Operation and maintenance of new buildings;
Technology infrastructure upgrades;
Contractual obligations; and
Investments in strategic initiatives to improve student access, engagement, and success.