NRCC First 100 Days

People have a real hope for the future of New River. Across the campus, people shared their optimism about what we can do for the communities we serve. They mentioned new programs, new ways of teaching, new technology, and new ways of serving students. But alongside that hope, there was an honest concern over the realities of higher education today. Many people discussed the pressures they see the college facing: changing enrollment patterns, concerns over budgets, shifts in student behaviors, and the disruption that some technologies are causing in the classroom. I also heard concerns about facility needs. A strong feeling exists that if we just had more space that we could do so much more for our students. Likewise, a common refrain was that some of our spaces are outdated or are not well suited for supporting new ways of teaching and learning. Many faculty spoke about the challenge of adapting to online learning, navigating the challenges of AI, and trying to maintain rigorous demands. Overall, there was a collective sense that the landscape of higher education is in a period of change but that New River is poised to thrive if we are innovative and intentional in our decision making. Where Are We Going? The world is changing more quickly than ever, so these conversations will be part of our landscape forever. Our challenge is to avoid just responding to the future but finding ways to shape it. Some questions that we will need to explore together in the future: How do we invest in our spaces, both physical and virtual, to best support our faculty, staff, and students? How do we best navigate changes in student behaviors and expectations while continuing our legacy of student learning? What new technological tools can we use to support our work?

How do we build new programs and pathways that lead students to future opportunities? How do we best support faculty who are doing innovative work in the classroom?

What Will We Do Now? Some innovations can begin immediately. While long-term planning is occurring, we will take the following steps to begin this important work: We will create a faculty innovation fund to formalize funding for new teaching strategies and technologies identified directly by the faculty.

We will begin investing in classroom innovation to ensure that all of our spaces of teaching and learning meet the highest standards. We will prioritize investment of new programs and cohorts in high-demand fields that lead to a living wage and invest in marketing existing programs so that students know of the opportunities that are available to them.

Rapid Maroons Program Signing at Roanoke College i r s r r i i t ll