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<br />JOINT RESOLUTION OF <br />THE CITY OF MARTINSVILLE AND COUNTY OF HENRY <br />IN SUPPORT OF <br />THE PROPOSED NEW COLLEGE INSTITUTE <br /> <br />WHEREAS, higher education can be a catalyst for economic revitalization in Southside Virginia; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the Harvest Foundation of the Piedmont has presented the Commonwealth with a <br />$50,000,000 challenge grant to begin a new public baccalaureate college in Martinsville/Henry <br />County; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, Governor Mark Warner has supported development of a new college by providing <br />$600,000 in planning funds to the New College Planning Commission and by including $4,500,000 in <br />his 2006-2008 biennium budget for the proposed New College Institute, the public entity envisioned <br />under the two-stage higher education framework agreed to by the New College Planning Commission, <br />Governor Warner, Secretary of Education Peter Blake, the State Council of Higher Education for <br />Virginia (SCHEV), and Virginia Tech; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the City of Martinsville has supported development of a new college by committing to <br />$1,000,000 in infrastructure development funding; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the New College Institute model is based on regional cooperation and collaboration; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the New College Institute two-stage framework allows for eventual development of the <br />New College Institute into a free-standing public baccalaureate college or a baccalaureate-level branch <br />campus; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, education and knowledge are the foundations of success in the twenty first century <br />economy and are necessary for the success of Southside as a region; now, therefore <br /> <br />BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED, jointly with the Henry County Board of Supervisors, that Martinsville <br />City Council enthusiastically endorses and supports efforts to establish the New College Institute in <br />MartinsvillelHenry County, and enthusiastically recommends to the Virginia General Assembly and <br />Governor-Elect Tim Kaine that legislation be enacted to create the New College Institute as it has been <br />envisioned under the two-stage framework and that the full sum of $4,500,000 proposed by Governor <br />Warner for the New College Institute be included in the Commonwealth's 2006-2008 biennium <br />budget. <br /> <br />****** <br /> <br />Attest: <br /> <br />Susan N. Johnson, Clerk of Council <br /> <br />Date Adopted <br />