Ginny is the "face" of the Virginia Education Wizard.

Career coaches and Virginia Education Wizard staff will be answering the phones at Call12 tonight on NBC 12 in Richmond.

Virginia Education Wizard gives students and parents a simple one-stop place to investigate higher education and career plans at Virginia’s Community Colleges and beyond. You can find information about programs and majors that will help you achieve your career goal, financial aid, and many other topics.

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– posted by Susan Hayden

You can read more about the agreement by following this link to a joint press release.

VCU and Virginia’s Community Colleges have been partners in guaranteed transfer for the better part of the last decade.

However, the new agreement gives transfer students greater access to services and support from the university:

The new agreement extends an existing guaranteed admission agreement signed in 2006 and updated in 2009 between VCU and the VCCS, and gives students the opportunity to feel more a part of the university at an earlier time – by providing access to the library, ability to meet with transfer advisors and participate in school-related events, a VCU email account, and discount admission to VCU sports and cultural events.

At the agreement signing today, the two leaders talked about the benefits this would have for the roughly 11,000 transfer students that attend VCU every year. 

Dr. Rao further talked about his desire to begin visiting Virginia Community College campuses across the state to learn more about the VCCS and help spread the word about the opportunities this agreement will create for students.

Posted by Jeffrey Kraus

Two new presidents had their first day today –  in opposite ends of the state.

Dr. Ronald Proffitt’s first day at Virginia Highlands Community College was marked by lunch on the lawn with the entire college staff.

And in the Tidewater area, Dr. Paul Conco had his first day as president at Paul D. Camp Community College, tirelessly going from group to group to meet everyone.

They are both making their mark with excited college communities.

In Lynchburg, former President Darrel Staat said goodbye to his staff after 11 years, telling WSET  he will miss seeing students every day in his new job as the head of the community and technical college system in South Carolina.

Dr. Cynthia Bambara takes over at CVCC as interim president while a national search gets under way.

- posted by Susan Hayden

Here’s an excerpt:

In the past few years, state colleges have agreed to common standards for many community college courses and then guaranteed admission to applicants with good grades. The shift helps families save money on tuition while bringing the four-year schools a more diverse student body.

Interest in transfers been heightened by the economic downturn. “Think of us as the lowest-cost on ramp to an undergraduate degree,” said Glenn DuBois, chancellor of Virginia community colleges. “Americans are pretty good at shopping price and value.”

Transfers increased more than 36 percent from 2000 to 2008, the Post reports.

Meanwhile a popular career program also was highlighted in the Post today - the Virginia Community Colleges Career Switchers program, offered at 11 community colleges across the state. Also growing rapidly since its inception in 2006, the program is “graduating” more than 230 new teachers this year…. with tens of thousands of teachers expected to retire in the next few years. The program serves career changers who have at least 5 years of job experience who can use their skills in the classroom.

Two good reads.

At the Lynchburg News & Advance, editorial writers celebrated President Darrel Staat as he leaves Central Virginia Community College for a new post as president of South Carolina’s system of technical colleges. CVCC, the editorial quotes Chamber of Commerce president as saying, is an

indispensable part of linking workers to jobs being created in the Lynchburg region.

The Culpeper Star-Exponent tipped its hat to philanthropist Doris Buffet and her ”generous and refreshing” gift to Germanna Community College –

It’s nice to know someone is still looking out for people trying to balance work, life and school. 

As well as a nod to the critical practical training going on at Germanna’s fifth annual State Simulation Alliance nursing conference. 

It’s pretty safe to say that when lives are at stake; the more training, the better.

A Letter to the Editor in the Bristol Herald Courier cites Mountain Empire Community College (along with the University of Virginia’s College at Wise) as community assets:

The anchor to most progressive and growing communities is higher eduction…… Leadership, integrity and dynamic commitment to education excellence have made these institutions priceless community assets.

And in the Shenandoah Valley, new President John Downey’s heart-felt and touching thank you to the communities that support Blue Ridge Community College earned the headline – Area Support of BRCC:  Priceless:

None of this would be possible if it was not for the support the college receives from our community, Downey writes. ”Our state government officials and legislators understand the critical importance of lifelong education, and their ongoing support of our efforts is deeply appreciated by the students we serve. Area governments, even in tight budget times, have shown their encouragement for the manner in which we educate the future workforce of the Valley.

Business leaders consistently demonstrate strong backing for our mission…..Partnerships with schools, technical centers, colleges and universities provide our community with wonderful educational pathways….both for those who wish to earn a baccalaureate degree as well as for those who wish to explore the myriad of career fields our local economy provides.

As we say goodbye to Memorial Day and turn to the summer, it seems Virginia’s Community Colleges are part of the celebration.

Posted by Susan Hayden

As expected, they found an expert willing to say it isn’t, or maybe it isn’t.  This time is was economist Richard Vedder who directs the Center for College Affordability and Productivity.

RICHARD VEDDER: In our zeal to get everyone a college education, we’re finding more and more people going out with a bachelor’s degree that are having a hard time getting a job that fits the skills that they believe they picked up in college. And maybe the notion that everyone should go to college is one that we need to rethink in light of this labor market experience.

Two things strike about Mr. Vedder’s remark.

1. “We’re finding more and more people going out with a bachelor’s degree that are having a hard time getting a job that fits the skills that they believe they picked up in college.”  The jobs recovery from the latest recession is slow – that’s been covered extensively in the media.  Not only are recent university graduates finding it tough to land a job, everyone is.  It’s interesting, however, that he used the word “skills” as opposed to “knowledge.”  Look at the mission statements of various colleges, like the VCCS, and universities.  More often than not you will find the word “skills” associated with community colleges, not universities – the institutions that award bachelor’s degrees.
2. “Maybe the notion that everyone should go to college is one that we need to rethink…” Really?  Are those who dropped out of school or earned only a high school diploma finding greater success in “this labor market experience?”  What I take from Mr. Vedder’s remark is that perhaps the blind pursuit of a bachelor’s degree is not the best path for everyone these days.

And that’s where the media has it all wrong with these kind of stories.  By and large, reporters graduated from journalism programs with four-year degrees.  Some of them go on to earn graduate journalism degrees.  Therefore the question about the value of post secondary education becomes a question of “Bachelor’s or bust?”

That is simply an insufficient way to explore and examine higher education and its value.

Virginia’s Community Colleges, like community colleges across the nation, help people earn two-year associates degrees.  We help people transfer to four-year universities to complete the bachelor’s degree.  We help people earn professional certifications.  We help connect people with apprenticeship opportunities. And that’s not all.

Each of these paths can be successful.  Each can lead to good-paying jobs and long, productive careers.  It all depends on the individual student we are serving.

(In fact, we customize that journey for every individual with the Virginia Education Wizard.  If you haven’t visited yet, please do.)

Success takes on many shapes.

The press needs to wake up to that fact.

More importantly, we all must.

Blue Ridge Community College graduated more than 500 students this year, among the largest classes ever.

In print and online, over the airwaves and in the social marketing realms of facebook and twitter, graduation stories abound. Uplifting stories of personal triumph go hand in hand with pomp and circumstance.

And this year, more than ever, community colleges appear to be getting their share.

Older students go back to school and succeed beyond bounds, like Central Virginia Community College’s Kathleen Fort, who graduates not only from CVCC but from four-year Randolph University at the same time – with a 4.0 at each.  Graduating together with her son, reports the Lynchburg News & Advance, she put together an art studio degree at the private university with a technology-driven graphic arts degree at CVCC.

David Dutton, a Lord Fairfax Community College alum, is now making news as a featured graduate at the University of Mary Washington – proof that community college is a prudent and productive step to a bachelor’s degree. Hearing disabled, he put together an American Sign Language club at Lord Fairfax, then did the same at his four-year university, where he also petitioned to have ASL classes meet foreign language requirements.

Both of these students received honors at their community colleges – including a trip to Richmond as a member of the exclusive “top 10 community college students in Virginia” team sponsored by PTK each spring.

Then there are the students who earn their associate’s degree and graduate from high school the same spring: like PDCCC’s Lindsay Crews.

And the students, like TCC’s Jason Elliott, who find — that despite any previous misperceptions — community colleges are a great place to start.

These stories are among many others.

Graduation stories may seem legion this year partly because the number of graduates themselves has been increasing at a faster rate over the past two years. Final numbers aren’t in for 2010, but the number of graduates jumped up 7 percent for 2009 and 7 percent for 2008 – after a number of years of smaller percent increases. With spring enrollments up 10 percent, it’s no wonder many of Virginia’s Community Colleges are calling this year’s class among the largest graduating classes ever.

Guaranteed transfer agreements that require an associate’s degree may be kicking in for the university-bound; shorter term certificate programs, also on the increase, are appealing for job seekers in a poor economy.

Or perhaps today’s community college graduates are increasingly the microcosm of a more diverse age.

– posted by Susan Hayden

Virginia, and America, need to produce more college graduates, period.  There is simply no way to do that without elevating the skills of people who are otherwise under prepared for the rigors of college classes.

That’s why is feels good for Virginia’s Community Colleges to be cited in a USA Today story as a national leader in reforming developmental education.

Back east, the Virginia Community College System is the process of redesigning its English, mathematics and reading developmental education programs. Eventually, it will “develop mechanisms and methodologies to hold colleges accountable for the success of developmental education.” An annual institution tracking system is planned to be in place by July. Though the details of this accountability system remain vague for the moment, as they are still being finalized, state officials agree that the conversation surrounding remedial education has changed substantially in recent years.

“It’s been a culture change for Virginia,” said Gretchen Schmidt, the community college system’s director of education policy. “Talking about developmental education within our Department of Education is a shift. Just like we talk about student success all the time, we’re now talking about college readiness and developmental education all the time at meetings. It’s not like Achieving the Dream, where some colleges are participating and some are not. When the statewide recommendations come out [for the redesign] and they’re proofed by the presidents, everyone will be on board. We’ve really built an internal culture of evidence.”

Gretchen and her boss, Susan Wood, have been doing some outstanding work in this area.  It will take some time to see the results of the work they and others are focused on.  But its coming.  After all, it simply must.

Posted by Jeffrey Kraus

BRCC staff member at the school

Blue Ridge Community College students who participate in the SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise)team – some of whom were in Haiti when a massive earthquake struck in January 2010 — are on their way to more regional and national awards.

BRCC’s team returned from Charlotte, NC recently as the regional champions, and will move on to the national competition in Minneapolis in May for a third shot at the national title.

We were doubly touched by the stories of devastation in Haiti, knowing that two BRCC students and two staff members so narrowly escaped being injured there, and knowing that the school that was their base was entirely destroyed. We’re about to be touched again when team members present their experiences at the upcoming Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy luncheon on April 20.

School students and BRCC team member before the earthquake in January.

In an interview with WHSV tv this week, team sponsor Rebecca Evans says the teams’ real impact on individuals, particularly through their projects in Haiti, sets them apart in the awards competition. She said:

Haiti has been one of the focal points of several of our team’s projects since 2007. Not only is it a country that truly benefits from any form of microbusiness, but its people genuinely appreciate the hand up they are given. The experience also has a profound affect on our students, opening their eyes to the privileges they are afforded everyday simply by living in the U.S.

After the earthquake at the school in Riviere Froide

The school the students visited in Riviere Froide was destroyed by the earthquake while they were there. It was a place that not only educated 1,000 children each day but was the place they were guaranteed a meal each day.

The SIFE team and students from BRCC are now hoping to rebuild the school with donations through the Blue Ridge Educational Foundation. Students have posted the cause on Facebook and at Truehero.org as well. To help, you can donate to the BRCC Haiti Relief Fund through the BRCC Educational Foundation at P.O. Box 80, Weyers Cave, Virginia, 24486.

– posted by Susan Hayden

Katherine Wallace

Overwhelmingly, students who traveled to Richmond said it was an opportunity, and an honor.  Katherine Wallace, a sophomore at Southwest Virginia Community College, echoed others’ sentiments when she wrote that

“The opportunity to visit our state Capitol and represent our college was a fascinating experience. Being able to meet with our legislators, who have a direct impact on our educational system, gave me an insight into government that I did not have before. The fact that our legislators took time out of their busy schedules to listen to our person stories and concerns showed me that they care. The opportunity was an experience of a lifetime.”

Katherine was one of 400 or so community college students who traveled to Richmond with their peers, a few colleges a day throughout the session. Most had never visited before.

Patrick Henry group at the General Assembly

Johnathon Childress, currently enrolled at Patrick Henry Community College, told legislators he is starting a journey toward a medical career.

“My journey began roughly one year ago when I was laid-off from a company due to down-sizing. Immediately I knew that I was going back to school, and also knew exactly what field I would be pursuing. However, because I had been in the working world for four years, my best option was to attend a community college.

With financial responsibilities and the realization that I could not get into a four year university, my options were limited as far as furthering my educational dreams. Luckily I already resided in an area that has a community college, and could offer me all of the important ground work that I will need for my future endeavors at a reasonable financial cost. The decision for me was not hard to ponder.

My passion and interests has always lied within the realm of medicine; therefore, I had decided that I wanted to become a doctor in the field of medicine. I began Patrick Henry Community College as soon as I could; which was in March of last year. I started in a mini-semester that was initiated because of the mass lay-offs in our area. Since my start date, I have only gotten more determined and intrigued with the study of medicine and all of its linking counterparts. My plans are still as they were when I started, and I am following the guidelines to transfer to the University of Virginia under a Guaranteed Admissions Agreement.

Throughout my journey at Patrick Henry, I have met many astute, compassionate instructors and people. All are supportive of my ambitions and offer their assistance at any time for any need. One recent opportunity that I took part in was the “Every Day is Community College Day” in Richmond, Virginia at the General Assembly. We shared our personal stories and how beneficial the community college system has been to our personal educational success. The experience was one that I thoroughly enjoyed, and feel very gratified to know that I took part in. I met and spoke with Senator Robert Hurt, Senator Roscoe Reynolds, and Delegate Ward Armstrong, just to name a few. Our talks were sincere and informative.

I left feeling like our legislators do regard education with the utmost importance, and are exploring every avenue possible to ensure that educational attainment is available and possible for everyone.

Without community colleges, my dreams in the field of medicine would be at a standstill. Without community colleges many would not even attend college, and I am sure that the beginning of my arduous journey would not have gone as smoothly as it has. Thank You Patrick Henry Community College!!

Below are some additional photos from among the college visits.

BRCC students in the House chambers

JTCC students visit Del. Morrissey

Southside students visit Sen. Ruff