CULPEPER, Va. - Despite Gov. Tim Kaine’s order last week to reduce overall state spending by five percent due to the slumping economy, Germanna Community College will avoid layoffs while cutting $577,291 from its fiscal year 2009 operating budget.

Class sizes will increase while course offerings decrease at Virginia Commonwealth University. The University of Virginia will defer maintenance on its historic grounds. And Christopher Newport University will close its study-abroad center in the Czech Republic next semester. Those are just a few of the ways Virginia’s colleges and universities will accommodate budget reductions announced Thursday by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine.

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Each year, U.S. News & World Report publishes its rankings of colleges and universities from around the country. Here’s how Virginia fared:

Each school has unique attributes to offer prospective students. Virginia is home to more than 40 residential colleges and universities, including some of the most historic institutions in the country.

Area campuses generate news all the time, with new programs, construction, awards and initiatives. Here is a roundup of news items submitted by the schools profiled in this section:

FREDERICKSBURG — The University of Mary Washington on Friday bought a nearby shopping center that it plans to transform into an upscale development featuring shops, theaters and student apartments.

Colleges and universities are constantly creating new programs, or expanding facilities or just offering glimpses of campus life.