[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 179 (Thursday, December 10, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1770]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 10, 2015

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 50th Anniversary 
of Northern Virginia Community College. Over the past two decades, the 
National Capital Region, especially Northern Virginia, has experienced 
explosive growth, becoming one of the most economically vibrant and 
diverse regions in the country. Northern Virginia Community College has 
been a major contributing factor to this success.
   Established in 1964 under the name Northern Virginia Technical 
College, the school opened with 761 students in a single building in 
Bailey's Crossroads. Renamed in 1966, Northern Virginia Community 
College, known locally as NOVA, now serves more than 100,000 full and 
part-time students at six campuses and three satellite educational 
centers, and through online learning.
   NOVA graduates who receive passing grades in designated courses are 
guaranteed admission to more than 40 area four-year colleges and 
universities. An in-state student can save approximately $15,000, or 
30% of tuition and fees, for a baccalaureate degree by attending NOVA 
for two years and then transferring to a public four-year institution. 
High school students can take advantage of this opportunity beginning 
at age 16.
   It is the largest public educational institution in Virginia and the 
second-largest community college in the United States. It is also one 
of the most internationally diverse colleges in the nation, with 20% of 
the student population consisting of individuals from more than 180 
countries. Nearly 4,000 faculty and staff members serve the students 
and the broader community. Nearly 300,000 individuals attend community 
activities on NOVA campuses each year.
   NOVA offers a wide variety of programs that support academic 
achievement and personal growth, and that promote civic engagement, 
leadership development, community involvement, health & wellness, and 
culture. Dozens of student-led organizations enrich campus life and 
specialized populations such as the disabled or current and former 
members of the military receive services tailored to their unique 
circumstances.
   Our local economy and our nation's security have benefitted from 
NOVA's innovative workforce development programs and cybersecurity 
curricula. Employers can rely on new-hires with credentials from NOVA 
and can partner with NOVA to develop customized training solutions so 
that recent graduates or current employees possess cutting edge skills 
required to succeed in a dynamic economy. The National Security Agency 
and the Department of Homeland Security have designated NOVA as a 
National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance, and 
representatives from the intelligence community routinely recruit 
graduates with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Cybersecurity 
from NOVA.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating NOVA 
on 50 years of delivering world-class post-secondary education and 
workforce development to ensure our region and the Commonwealth of 
Virginia continue to have such a highly-educated population and a 
globally competitive workforce. NOVA truly exemplifies the crucial role 
that publicly-supported higher education plays in our society. I look 
forward to seeing what NOVA will accomplish in the next 50 years.

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