Message from the President

So much has happened at Blue Ridge in the last few years it is incredible when we look back at our progress. Our administrative and academic departments have grown to meet the needs of our student body and in fewer than 5 years we have increased our student enrollment more than 100%. We have become the third fully independent community and technical college in West Virginia, and our region is now well served by an institution that offers occupational and university parallel programs. Our initial building of 34,000 square feet at the Dunn Building has been outgrown and we have added 35,000 more square feet to our facilities in our new Tech Center, located on Route 11 South.

Accreditation.  Blue Ridge has been re-accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.  Our accreditation is for ten years and our next accreditation visit is scheduled for academic year 2019-2020.  We are extremely proud of this accomplishment and it is attests to the quality of our faculty, staff, and students.

New Programs.  Blue Ridge constantly watches developments in our local, national, and international economies.  Our goal is to monitor the educational needs of the business and industry in our region and to respond to those needs in an efficient and effective manner.  We serve a number of businesses and industries in our region and during the recent accreditation visits our workforce development program was cited as exemplary.

New Facility.  Because of our tremendous growth, we have begun the process of expanding our facilities.   We anticipate that we will soon purchase 43 acres of land and construct and new educational facility on that property.  The new facility will house what is currently in the Dunn Building and provide an opportunity to expand our learning programs, student services, and office space.

All of these items that we are working ensure access for students, produce quality graduates, maintain solid working relationships with our local employers, and develop well coordinated programs of study with our local public school systems. Our graduates are increasingly in high demand, either for placement directly into the workforce, or for transfer to another institution for further study. It is the students and outstanding faculty and staff that have made Blue Ridge one of the most successful community and technical colleges in our state. We have a lot to be proud of and for those of you considering becoming a student at Blue Ridge, contact our fantastic enrollment management office today to start your journey.

Sincerely,
Peter G. Checkovich, President