Roanoke —Virginia Western Community College’s registration is now open for Spring Semester 2013, which begins on Jan. 7. Students can enroll now, reserve their classes, and make payment by Dec. 6. To register online, visit: www.virginiawestern.edu/classes/index.php. Students can also contact the Admissions Office at (540) 857-7231 or infocenter@virginiawestern.edu, or visit us in Chapman Hall Room 108.

Virginia Western offers both credit and non-credit courses for students looking to earn a degree or certificate, transfer to a four-year university, get ahead in their career or just find enjoyment through furthering their education. Explore programs of study along with degree and certificate offerings at: www.virginiawestern.edu/academics/programs.php.

Virginia Western is a two-year public institution of higher education operating under a statewide system of community colleges. The College operates under the policies established by the State Board for Community Colleges and the Virginia Western Community College Board.

The service region of the College includes Roanoke, Salem, Roanoke County, Craig County, southern Botetourt County, and northern Franklin County. Day, evening, and weekend classes are provided on a 70-acre campus located in Southwest Roanoke. Classes are also offered at off-campus locations in the area. The College was established in 1966 and has an annual enrollment of nearly 13,000 students.

Virginia Western Community College’s Full-Time Fridays program will accept its second cohort this Spring Semester, allowing students to earn a college degree while balancing priorities to their work, families and life in general.  Full-Time Fridays will give those students the opportunity to earn an Associate of Science Degree in General Studies in just two years through on-campus courses on Fridays, coupled with distance (online) learning.

“The first year of Full-Time Fridays afforded students new opportunities to coordinate their higher education with work and family obligations, and we are striving to help more students overcome life obstacles to reach their goals,” said Dr. Elizabeth Wilmer, Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. “The program’s unique schedule means that students don’t have to struggle to find childcare on nights and weekends or stay up for night classes after work throughout the week. Employers and their workers are seeing the benefits to the professional development component of this program as well.”

With Full-Time Fridays, students will be able to take all their courses from 8 a.m.- 6:30 p.m. on Fridays and still be able to manage obligations to their work, family and themselves. The typical course load of 60 credit hours will be spread over Spring and Fall semesters for two years. Full-Time Fridays students will complete a set of required and elective courses like any other Virginia Western student, and tuition costs will be identical.

Students can begin enrolling in Full-Time Fridays for the Spring Semester on Monday, and the first day of Friday classes will be Jan. 7, 2013. For more information about enrolling in Full-Time Fridays, visit: http://www.virginiawestern.edu/academics/fridays.php.  To meet with an advisor to discuss your path to a college degree, call (540) 857-7237 or visit Chapman Hall, Room 105 during the office hours of 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on Monday-Thursday or 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday.

The Virginia Western Community College Sustainability Committee and the Roanoke Valley Astronomical Society invite the public to a free showing of The City Dark: A Search for Night on a Planet that Never Sleeps.

The City Dark is a feature documentary about light pollution and the disappearing night sky. It premiered in competition at the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize for Best Score/Music. After moving to light-polluted New York City from rural Maine, filmmaker Ian Cheney asks: “Do we need the dark?” Exploring the threat of killer asteroids in Hawai’i, tracking hatching turtles along the Florida coast, and rescuing injured birds on Chicago streets, Cheney unravels the myriad implications of a globe glittering with lights—including increased breast cancer rates from exposure to light at night, and a generation of kids without a glimpse of the universe above. Featuring stunning astrophotography and a cast of eclectic scientists, philosophers, historians, and lighting designers, The City Dark is the definitive story of light pollution and the disappearing stars. For more information, visit: http://www.thecitydark.com.

When:

Tuesday, November 13; 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. (Abridged classroom version – 58 minutes), 7 p.m. (Full, feature-length version – 84 minutes)

Wednesday, November 14, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (Abridged classroom version – 58 minutes)

Where:

Whitman Theater, Virginia Western Community College (Directions and Campus Map)

Cost:

Free

Roanoke — Virginia Western Community College announces that it has launched a free mobile application for Apple iPhones. The app, called VWCC Mobile, will allow students and community members to stay connected with the College wherever they are. An Android version of the VWCC Mobile app is in development and will be available soon.

Download the free VWCC Mobile app at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id571087757?mt=8.

VWCC Mobile includes features such as:

• Directory - Search the public directory for students, faculty, staff and administrators.
• Courses - Plan your semester on the go. Browse and search the course catalog, view class times, locations and more.
• Events - Always know what’s happening on or around Virginia Western Community College.
• Maps - Find out where you are and where you need to go.
• News - Get the latest headlines to stay on top of the most important school news.
• Bookstore - Find all the books you need for class!
• Videos - Check out all the newest videos!
• Emergency - Access important numbers when you need them.
• Facebook - Use Facebook to connect.
• Twitter - Use Twitter to connect.
• Learn – Get instant access to all of your Blackboard Learn™ content on the go. Check grades, post to discussion forums, view important class announcements, read and download assignments, upload content, and more.

Download VWCC Mobile now and be on the lookout for more great features coming soon!