This article originally appeared in the
Roanoke Times, September 14, 2001 and the text below was
downloaded from the Roanoke Times web site.
Friday, September 14, 2001
State panel seeks to spread Tech, Radford initiatives
Virginia's higher education council wants to use Web sites to link graduates
with jobs and companies with workers.
By KEVIN MILLER
THE ROANOKE TIMES
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia approved an initiative this
week that aims to spur economic development in the state by facilitating contact between universities, businesses and recent
college graduates.
SCHEV's new initiative will make statewide several programs already
offered by many schools, including Virginia Tech and Radford University. The agency,
which overseas higher education matters for the state, plans to set up three Web sites. The first, called "Where the Jobs Are," would
provide information on what jobs are expected to be high demand in the coming years in Virginia.
The second site, called "Where the Graduates Are," would post a
searchable database of recent college graduates - from both private and public schools -
as well their resumes with contact information. SCHEV officials hope the database will improve recruitment efforts and possibly
encourage Virginia companies to hire graduates from schools within the state.
The third Web site, called "Where the Intellectual Capital Is," will
feature a searchable database of Virginia college faculty and experts listed
by field.
Virginia Tech and Radford already offer some or all of these services.
Tech, for instance, posts resumes online and has extensive lists of faculty
available to provide expertise in their fields, said university spokesman Larry Hincker.
Radford has business-assistance services and also links Virginia
businesses with other state businesses through its Virginia Economic Bridge
initiative, said David Burdette, Radford's vice president of business affairs.
While Burdette said he believes most of these efforts may be best handled on the local level, he said a statewide database should help exposure.
"Anything that improves economic development, particularly in the New
River Valley, is important," Burdette said.
SCHEV officials also approved an additional $1.1 million and $1.3
million in the first and second year of the upcoming biennium budget to expand the Virtual Library of Virginia. That request will go to the governor
for consideration.
The additional money will help the state purchase electronic resources,
such as databases and journals, that are then made available to any student
or faculty member of Virginia's public schools and some private institutions.
Katherine Perry, director of the state's virtual library, said the state is
able to buy $5 worth of electronic resources for every $1 it spends. That should help schools reduce library expenditures or allow them to spend
that money on other resources, she said.
Virginia Tech is facing the cancellation of an additional 1,000 serial
publications this fall because of rising subscription prices unless the library
budget is significantly increased. Tech administrators have vowed to increase the budget.
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