State program to provide college classes in Southside

Virginia Business
August 2006

Community leaders in Danville and Martinsville have long believed that the lack of a public, four-year college in their area has thwarted economic development.

But starting this fall, the area will have an institution providing degree-granting programs from various Virginia universities and colleges. Courses through the New College Institute (NCI) will be offered at a building in Martinsville’s Uptown area and on the campus of Patrick Henry Community College.

“It’s a great start,” says Barry Dorsey, the newly appointed executive director of NCI. “Hopefully, it will translate into an increase in the college-going rate in this area, and we also hope that it will begin to transform the Uptown area, where some of the surrounding vacant buildings could be used for bookstores, coffee houses or other student support businesses.”

Initially, NCI will offer bachelor and master’s degree programs in education, nursing, business administration, criminal justice, and educational administration and supervision. The sponsoring institutions are the University of Virginia, Longwood University, Radford University, Ferrum College and Averett University.

The General Assembly didn’t pass legislation providing NCI with a $1.25 million annual appropriation until early June. But even with the late start, Dorsey expects 50 students to enroll in NCI this fall. He anticipates additional academic programs by fall of 2007. (The legislature’s appropriation is getting a dollar-for-dollar match from the local Harvest Foundation, a philanthropic organization formed several years ago after the sale of a public hospital.)

The current legislation only permits NCI to offer classes through other universities, but the State Council of Higher Education will review NCI in 2008 and 2011. Based partly on its recommendation, NCI could: become a stand-alone institution offering degrees and employing its own faculty; develop into a branch of another university, similar to the University of Virginia at Wise; or continue its present mission.

No matter what direction the institution takes, Southside residents are happy to have more access to higher education. “The response from the community has been overwhelming,” says Dorsey. “We’re getting a lot of calls from potential students, and people are just so excited that NCI is finally a reality.”