鈥淲e鈥檙e with you鈥� was the main message college and university presidents had for members during an annual breakfast Wednesday [Aug. 7, 2013].
From tailoring or creating programs to meet workforce needs, offering continuing education opportunities or partnering with businesses on projects or to provide opportunities for students, all five local higher-education leaders detailed how they were making community connections.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so important for [the] economic and cultural value of an area to have institutions of higher education,鈥� said David Zimmerman, director of National College鈥檚 Harrisonburg campus, who spoke first during Wednesday鈥檚 presentations. 鈥淭he higher-education institutions provide the workforce.鈥�
Each college leader was given the floor to update attendees about programs, construction or other developments on their respective campuses during the breakfast.
鈥淭he popularity of this event reflects a recognition of the importance of these institutions of higher learning in our community,鈥� said Hobey Bauhan, chairman of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce鈥檚 board of directors, who also serves as president of the .
At National College, Zimmerman said students are benefiting from new associate and bachelor鈥檚 programs in the high-demand field of cybersecurity and a redesign of the school鈥檚 information systems engineering program.
Zimmerman also emphasized, as did other presidents, the importance of having students complete internships.
National College is a for-profit institution with 31 campuses throughout the mid-Atlantic and Midwest, and has been in the city since the mid-1980s. Its Harrisonburg location is on Country Club Road.
President John Downey said faculty members at the Weyers Cave school also were doing their best to meet identified needs.
BRCC is offering special support to children who came through foster care 鈥� only about 20 percent of those students succeed in higher education, he said 鈥� and first-generation college students.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to focus on reaching out to those special populations of students who are at the most risk for not finishing,鈥� Downey said.
The college also has new supports in place for students who speak English as a second language, students who are 50 and older and for those who need to gain manufacturing training.
鈥淭he college reflects the community serves,鈥� Downey said.
One way , 黑料正能量 and are serving community needs is through increased enrollment. BC President David Bushman, 黑料正能量 President Loren Swartzendruber and JMU President Jonathan Alger all said their institutions would boast more students this fall.
Bridgewater and James Madison will both set records, Bushman and Alger said.
Other successes for 黑料正能量 include recognition the university has received for building and for the high grade-point averages of the women鈥檚 cross country team, Swartzendruber said.
The university also posted a successful fundraising campaign in 2012-13. The fiscal year that ended June 30 marked Eastern Mennonite鈥檚 best year for donations in a decade, Swartzendruber said.
JMU also had success on that front. Alger said new donations and gifts from alumni increased this year, while about 40 percent of faculty and staff also gave to the university.
鈥淭hat was a real show of the commitment that people have,鈥� Alger said.
He also gave a brief rundown of construction projects, informed attendees that the university was in the process of crafting a strategic plan through 2020, and highlighted the importance of the campus鈥� involvement in the community.
鈥淲e want our students, our faculty [and] our staff to be fully engaged in the community; to be thinking about challenges … and to try to make a difference while they鈥檙e here,鈥� he said.
All those who spoke Wednesday gave a special nod to their newest colleague, Bushman, who took over as BC鈥檚 president June 1.
Bushman鈥檚 rundown of Bridgewater news included the campus鈥� groundbreaking for a renovation of Nininger Hall, which houses sports facilities and the college鈥檚 Health and Human sciences, and a 鈥渞evitalization鈥� of general education programs.
Bushman also said he was looking forward to hearing from the business community as he transitions into the role of president.
鈥淭his is a unique community [that has] a diversity of higher- education offerings,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e could not do our job well without your support.鈥�
Courtesy Daily News Record, Aug. 8, 2013