JMU Joins Growth4VA Campaign
University and business alliance eyes stimulus efforts
JMU in the Community
SUMMARY: JMU has joined Growth4VA, a campaign launched by universities and businesses to promote reform and reinvestment in higher education with a goal of stimulating the Virginia economy and regaining the commonwealth's number one ranking for business.
James Madison University is excited to support the newly-launched Growth4VA campaign, which will focus on promoting reform and reinvestment in Virginia’s top-ranked higher education system. The campaign, backed by a partnership of higher education and business leaders, aims to help grow the Virginia economy, expand access to education and job opportunities for all Virginians, and regain Virginia’s number one ranking for business.
“Growth4VA comes at an important time in Virginia,” said JMU President Jonathan Alger. “The commonwealth’s economy can no longer rely on federal spending. We’ve got to focus on developing more innovation, and investing in higher education is a key element.”
Virginia’s colleges, universities, and community colleges are stepping up to help achieve these goals. Working with partners in the business community, the campaign will offer practical policies and creative ideas focused on four strategies:
• Make Virginia the top state for talent
• Become recognized as the home of innovators and entrepreneurs
• Prepare Virginians for great jobs and great lives
• Provide affordable access for all Virginians
“At JMU, we are focused on the outcomes that will lead Virginia back to being a top state for talent,” said Alger. “We’re unlocking incredible creativity and innovation with our interdisciplinary approach to entrepreneurship that connects artists and designers with engineers and business students. In countless other programs at JMU, we’re taking similar approaches. It’s an exciting time, but we need to continue investing in the system to compete with other states.”
Growth4VA is a campaign of the Virginia Business Higher Education Council and has been endorsed by all 15 of Virginia’s public higher education institutions and the Virginia Community College System. To learn more about the Growth4VA campaign, including the current economic impact of Virginia’s higher education system and the Growth4VA coalition’s plans for expanding economic growth and opportunity in Virginia, visit www.Growth4VA.com.
