In response to a legislative imperative that all public higher education institutions in Virginia develop and implement a program to measure student learning and to use the results of evaluations for the improvement of instruction and the curriculum, the Virginia community colleges have either initiated or completed a number of student assessment activities. By October 1987, each community college had completed a student assessment plan designed to: (1) evaluate students' academic performance at entry, at mid-point in their studies, and upon exit or graduation; (2) assess the colleges' academic programs and placement services by measuring the achievement of developmental studies, general education, university parallel/transfer, occupational-technical, and unclassified students; and (3) involve faculty continuously in the entire student assessment process. In addition, the colleges participated in the development of guidelines and resource papers for student assessment, two informational workshops and an articulation conference, the development of a list of testing and guidance instruments used at the colleges, efforts to obtain supplemental state funding, the preparation of progress reports, and a pilot study of the efficacy of an instrument to measure students' comprehension of general education concepts. Planned activities include the development of a definition of general education, of assessment methods for students' general education knowledge, and of a Research and Assessment Data Support System. As even a minimal assessment program costs at least $12.00 per year for each full-time equivalent student, the Virginia community colleges are expected to expend a considerable amount of their budgets to assess student learning. A chronology of student assessment activities in Virginia, background on the accreditation and legislative context of the initiatives, and funding information are attached. (EJV)