Virginia Western Community College is providing greatly expanded coursework, training, services and transfer opportunities at the Franklin Center in Rocky Mount, including new classes for the Spring Semester 2015. As the primary community college serving Franklin County, Virginia Western is helping make the Franklin Center a one-stop shop for higher education in the area.
Virginia Western and Patrick Henry Community College cooperatively served Franklin County for many years. Through a mutual agreement established before the 2014-15 academic year, Virginia Western will solely serve the county in the future following the current brief transitional phase. Franklin County will officially be completely part of Virginia Western’s service area effective July 1, 2015.
“We have been extremely pleased with how the transition phase has gone, and we foresee continued growth for the services and opportunities Virginia Western can provide to Franklin County,” said Dr. Robert H. Sandel, President of Virginia Western. “This Spring Semester, we will offer three-to-four times the number of courses at the Franklin Center that we have had in the past. At the same time, we are working with more businesses and industries in Franklin County to assist with their non-credit training needs.”
In addition to courses in everything from accounting to religion this Spring Semester, Virginia Western will offer healthcare courses to help students become Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) and Medication Aides. Spring Semester open enrollment is now underway, and students can sign up for classes at www.virginiawestern.edu.
Students attending Virginia Western courses at the Franklin Center have the ability to use the college’s numerous guaranteed admission agreements with Virginia’s top universities. They can enjoy seamless transfer to colleges such as Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia and Radford University; and they can participate in Virginia Western-exclusive articulation agreements for programs of study at Ferrum College, Jefferson College of Health Sciences, James Madison University, Old Dominion University, Purdue University, Roanoke College and more.”I tell parents all the time that the most affordable choice they can make is to send their children to Virginia Western for two years and then, if they choose to, let them transfer to a university to complete their bachelor’s degree,” Dr. Sandel said. “The cost savings are incredible for the same high-quality education, and that’s even before you consider that two years at Virginia Western may be tuition-free through the Community College Access Program.”
The Community College Access Program (CCAP) is a public/private partnership that makes college available tuition-free to graduates of public high schools in the localities of Botetourt County, Craig County, Franklin County, Roanoke City, Roanoke County and Salem. CCAP is also available to Franklin County homeschooled students. In combination with federal/state financial aid, CCAP may cover the cost of tuition for up to two years at Virginia Western.
In Fall Semester 2014, 68 students from Franklin County participated in CCAP. The 2015 CCAP application period is from Jan. 5, 2015-Feb. 27, 2015. There will be an information session for Franklin County students and their parents interested in CCAP from 6-8 p.m. on Dec. 11 at Franklin County High School. The backup date in the case of inclement weather is from 6-8 p.m. on Dec. 17, also at Franklin County High School. For more information on CCAP, visit www.virginiawestern.edu/ccap.
The class offerings at the Franklin Center mean that many Franklin County CCAP students can earn their credits without having to drive to Virginia Western’s 70-acre main campus in Roanoke. The center has computer labs and Wi-Fi service, so students can take classes online, as well as services such as test proctoring, placement testing, assistance with admissions and financial aid.
The Franklin Center is also a resource for businesses seeking customized training or certification for their employees. Through Virginia Western’s Workforce Solutions, non-credit classes can be designed and provided to aid professional development and help the bottom line. To learn more about workforce training opportunities in Franklin County, contact Mike Greer at 540-483-0179 ext. 2116 or mgreer@virginiawestern.edu.
Current courses being offered at the Franklin Center during Spring Semester 2015 include:
Principles of Accounting II-ACC 212
Principles of Public Speaking-CST 100
College Composition II-ENG 112
United States History II-HIS 122
First Aid & CPR-HLT 100
Certified Nursing Assistant-HLTH 2528
Medication Aid-HLTH 2529
Intro to Computer Applications-ITE 115
Math for the Liberal Arts I-MTH 151
Elementary Statistics-MTH 157
Developmental Math I-MTT 1
Developmental Math II-MTT 2
Developmental Math III-MTT 3
Developmental Math IV-MTT 4
U.S. Government I-PLS 211
Developmental Psychology-PSY 230
Survey of the Old Testament-REL 200
