Thursday, May 18, 2006
Community colleges offer opportunities
From the RoundTable blog
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Robert H. Sandel
Sandel is president of Virginia Western Community College and chairman of the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Virginia's community colleges are poised to experience explosive growth, thanks to the University of Virginia's recent announcement promising admission into its College of Arts and Sciences if students from two-year institutions meet UVa's admission requirements.
Further, how many individuals in this community know that Virginia Western Community College students have guaranteed admission to Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as well as its College of Engineering?
UVa's announcement ("UVa guarantees admission to community college students," April 13 news story) places no caps on the number of eligible students who can be admitted to its College of Arts and Sciences. However, it maintains standards by requiring a 3.4 grade point average, a minimum grade of a C in every course and 54 transferable credit hours.
This information certainly sends a blanket invitation to high school students and their parents to consider continuing their education after high school at a community college.
Virginia Western is the catalyst that makes a difference in people's lives in Roanoke and the surrounding area. It is well known that community college tuition rates are affordable -- financial aid is also available -- and class sizes are small. It has also been touted, on numerous occasions, that faculty at community colleges have advanced degrees and that their motivation is to see their students succeed. Yet, for some, this is still not enough.
Perhaps this point of view will change now that earning a two-year degree offers a greater opportunity to attend universities like UVa and Tech. This college has always been a great place to start for the transfer student looking for a well-rounded education before taking that big step to a four-year institution.
Virginia Western's articulation agreements also involve, among other institutions, Old Dominion University, Radford University, Sweet Briar College, Virginia Commonwealth University, Regis University, Longwood University, the University of Phoenix and, most recently, the University of Richmond. Adding UVa to this list, to use the cliché, is the icing on the cake.
Virginia Western, in particular, has played an active role in serving the needs of the many citizens and businesses in Roanoke, Salem and Roanoke, Craig, Franklin and Botetourt counties.
During the past 40 years, Virginia Western has helped high school dropouts who earn GEDs and then come to our college to begin a career; it has educated retired individuals looking to stay active; and it has worked one-on-one with local businesses to tailor training programs through our work force development division.
Virginia Western has also assisted high school student interested in taking college-credit classes by offering special courses taught in area high schools through its dual enrollment program, not to mention the opportunities available through our distance-learning classes -- the fastest growing form of educational training available.
It is comforting to know that four-year institutions around the state are recognizing the value of education provided by community colleges. The intent is that others will, too. Virginia Western will continue to meet the needs of the citizens it serves and will strive to find innovative ways of finding solutions and using education to make a difference in people's lives.
