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 65%.  We have become only 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 30,000 more square feet to our facilities in our new Tech Center, located on Route 11 South.

Occasionally when there are so many things going on from day to day, one loses sight of the larger scale issues that are approaching on the horizon.  At Blue Ridge we have kept our eyes on both the day to day and the longer term.  Below are a few of the big picture items we are currently working on.  As is often the case they involve people, finances, or facilities.

New Buildings.  We are continuing the process of locating property and securing bonding for a building that will house many academic programs and administrative offices.  At present we have narrowed the search for property to a couple of very promising sites, and the bond issue should be approved soon.

Accreditation.  Blue Ridge was last successfully accredited in the spring of 2005.  It was our initial independent accreditation with the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.  Our first accreditation was for five years, the maximum initial accreditation period.  The faculty, staff, students, and community of Blue Ridge have been working on our Self Study for the past three years.  The Self Study is our description and evaluation of our college and is presented to our accrediting body for our visitation by a representative committee.  That visit takes place on October 5, 6, and 7 of 2009.  Blue Ridge will be requesting a full ten years of accreditation from the North Central Association.

New Programs.  Blue Ridge is undergoing a transformation and expansion of the certificate and degree programs that is offers.  A decade ago, we had very few technical programs in our inventory.  Over time we have been successful in starting new programs in technical areas such as power distribution, medical assisting, Cisco technologies, and a number of others.  These new programs hold great promise for a growing region such as ours, and with a certificate or degree in many of these new areas, our graduates can earn a very competitive salary and engage in a fulfilling career.  We are proud to be able to bring new technical programs to our area.

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