NRCC History Book

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Educational Programs and Services During the first decade of the 2000s, NRCC continued its tradition of meeting the educational needs of the entire community, including middle and high school students, public school teachers and paraprofessionals, and adult learners needing additional skills for their current job or fast-track training to a new career. Middle and High School . In the early 2000s, NRCC provided programs and services for middle and high school students in our service region. Each spring semester since 1991, NRCC and WCC co-sponsored the Blue Ridge Highlands Regional Science Fair. Between 200 to 225 students in 7 th through 12 th grades from both colleges’ service regions presented poster displays and oral presentations on a variety of science topics. Started in 1999, a free summer technology camp for middle school students was held each year and covered various computer programs such as Cisco, Photoshop, and Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CADD). In 2000 the “College Student for a Day” program brought 24 Blacksburg High School students with special educational needs to the college campus. The students visited classrooms to learn about programs and services offered at NRCC. Starting in 2001, the distance learning initiative with Giles County Public Schools, which enabled juniors and seniors in Giles County to attend classes at NRCC via compressed video, expanded to include a greater number of dual enrollment students. Also in 2001, a partnership between NRCC and the New River Valley Magnet School for Technology was formed. Service region high school students who struggled academically were introduced to the field of

annual full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment in face-to-face only classes was 575; the FTE enrollment in the hybrid mode was 135; and only five FTE enrollments were distance education only. By the academic year 2005-06, a major shift in how students took courses occurred. The FTE enrollment of students in face-to-face only courses decreased from 722 FTE in 2004-05 to 315 FTE in 2005-06, representing a decrease of 407 FTE or 56 percent. It was evident that most students were taking a mix of face-to face and DE courses. In 2004-05 the FTE enrollment of students taking hybrid courses was 121; and in 2005-06, FTE enrollment in hybrid courses increased to 424 or 250 percent. FTE enrollment in distance education only courses increased from 8 to 39 from 2004-05 to 2005-06 respectively, an increase of 388 percent. As noted earlier, a record enrollment occurred at NRCC in the Fall 2009 when 5,229 students (headcount) enrolled. During Fall Semester 2009, the FTE enrollment for face-to-face courses was 249; the FTE enrollment for hybrid courses was 503; and the FTE enrollment for distance education only students was 107. FTE enrollment for hybrid and distance only modes of instruction increased significantly from the middle of the decade, and FTE enrollment of students in face-to-face only continued to decrease. In the Spring 2006, the business management associate degree became the first occupational/technical degree at NRCC to be available online. The accounting and administrative support technology associate degrees were offered online a few years later. These online programs attracted a diverse group of students, including working adults, stay-at-home parents, and students with limited childcare or transportation.

Chapter 1