Partnering Holds Promise for the Future
Ted D. Spring
President, New River Community and Technical College
December 6, 2007

Eight postsecondary institutions in southeastern West Virginia have formed a unique partnership, one that can serve as a template for multilevel cooperation in higher education. These institutions share the same physical location, the new Erma Byrd Higher Education Center, which allows a diverse population of students to enroll in a range of academic fields and pursue certificates and associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. The center opened in September near Beckley, West Virginia.

Participating institutions include New River Community and Technical College, Southern Community and Technical College, Community and Technical College at West Virginia University of Technology, Concord University, Bluefield State College, Marshall University, and others. This joint venture is expanding educational access for southern West Virginia residents, particularly those who would otherwise be unable or unlikely to pursue a postsecondary education.

The partnership among the colleges is changing traditional philosophies of higher education in the region. Historically, a competitive climate, intensified by declining state financial support, has existed within the state’s higher education system. Institutions have been reluctant to work together for fear of jeopardizing their prospective student pool. However, the early success of the Erma Byrd Center is fostering an understanding and appreciation of the benefits to institutions that work collectively to serve students.

New River Community and Technical College, the newest educational partner in the region, is serving as a catalyst for this understanding and for the center’s development. Traditionally, West Virginians have defined a “college education” in terms of a four-year institution, but the partnership is changing that perception. Students, parents, and community leaders are recognizing that the community college offers accessibility, transfer opportunity, and value. The community college option is being viewed as a means to reduce the overall cost of a college education. Tuition is lower, and students can live at home and may work to support themselves and their families while attending classes and earning a degree. High school students who expect to attend four-year institutions are now enrolling at New River under the dual college credit option, which allows them to earn high school and college credit simultaneously and to get a head start on their college career.

West Virginia has the lowest college-going rate in the nation; however, the partnership of the postsecondary institutions housed at the Erma Byrd Center has begun to change that. More students in the region are attending college this fall. Fueling the increase is New River, whose enrollment this semester has grown by a whopping 33 percent. Site-bound students, those who are unable or unwilling to leave the area, can now begin and continue their education close to home and may even complete a bachelor’s and master’s degree at the center. While the center’s facilities are inviting, students seem most excited that opportunities for transfer to baccalaureate and master’s-level programs exist at one convenient location.

An added benefit to housing multiple institutions at one location is the reduction of operational costs and the elimination of duplication. Costs for physical operations, staffing, marketing, scheduling, and support services can be shared. Cooperation among the colleges has encouraged seamless programming. This means that courses and programs readily transfer so that students may attend classes offered by partnering institutions at the center, providing students with more choices and flexibility. The partnership encourages two-year and upper-division college programs to align with market demand and focus on employment needs in the state. The result is untold opportunity for college graduates, who will easily find meaningful employment.

The center truly is a one-stop operation, from community college to graduate study to continuing education. By maximizing the use of the conveniently located facility, more people than ever before are being served. This partnership demonstrates the importance of a teamwork approach to higher education and offers a template for the multilevel collaboration of postsecondary institutions in other parts of the nation.