NOVA Prof. Charles Errico
As chair of the Chancellor’s Faculty Advisory Committee (CFAC) for eight years, Northern Virginia Community College history professor Charles Errico played a leading role in shaping system-wide discussions about faculty roles and responsibilities. He championed faculty-driven policy change, advancing initiatives such as paid parental leave, phased retirement, and equitable evaluation standards. Last spring, Dr. Errico stepped down from the CFAC leadership role. And, as Errico retired this summer from full-time faculty work, other members of CFAC offered a tribute to Errico’s contributions.
“Throughout his tenure, Charlie’s steady leadership, inclusive spirit, and unwavering commitment to student success transformed CFAC into a respected, solutions-focused voice for faculty across the Virginia Community College System,” wrote Dirk Burrus, the Reynolds Community College Information Systems Technology professor who now chairs CFAC.
Reynolds Prof. Dirk Burrus
Burrus shared a statement from CFAC members honoring Errico. You can read the full statement.
“Charlie’s leadership style grounded in empathy, open dialogue, and principled collaboration fostered a culture where every faculty member felt seen, heard, and empowered. By welcoming new representatives with warmth and humility, he turned colleagues into partners and partners into friends, ensuring that fresh perspectives were always valued at the table,” Dr. Burrus added.
CFAC is part of the VCCS governance structure. Our State Board created CFAC to be the primary vehicle to gather input from VCCS faculty on system-wide issues. CFAC serves in an advisory capacity to the Chancellor and convenes twice per year to discuss and make recommendations on a formal agenda set by the Chancellor in collaboration with the CFAC Chair.
Queen Elizabeth II visited Virginia as part of the 400th anniversary celebration of the first permanent English colony in the New World. Prof. Errico got to meet her because he’d been selected as one of Virginia’s outstanding college faculty members that year.
After more than four decades in the classroom, Errico left the full-time faculty at NOVA this summer, but he plans to serve on as an adjunct faculty member. “You’ll never get rid of me,” said Errico, “I’ll always have the VCCS running through my veins.”
Errico says he will always hold meeting Queen Elizabeth II as one of his most outstanding memories as a Virginia Community College professor. The encounter occurred when the Queen visited Virginia in 2007. “She asked me about the community colleges,” said Errico. “She was soft spoken, sincere, and genuinely interested when I told her about how we provided our students with a pathway to a better life.”
CFAC is scheduled to meet again in October. When that meeting occurs, this newsletter will publish an update report on the panel’s plans and priorities.
