Nursing program changes at Virginia Western

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Oh-oh: WDBJ7 Roanoke News and Weather NRV Lynchburg Danville | Nursing program changes at Virginia Western

ROANOKE, VA - Effective in fall 2010, Virginia Western will no longer participate as a partner in the Commonwealth Nursing Program (CNP), a non-traditional, online program offered through the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) for students interested in becoming registered nurses.

"We will not be admitting another class beginning in fall 2009 due to statewide budget reductions," said Anne Kornegay, Interim Vice-President, Academic & Student Affairs. All VCCS colleges have been mandated to cut 5% of operational budgets for the 2008-09 academic year and further cuts are anticipated for 2009-10 as a result of the downturn in the economy. "Withdrawing from the partnership is part of the college's plan to deal with the budget situation," she said.

Virginia Western will continue to offer all classes needed for the current cohorts of CNP students, who are on track to graduate in May 2009 and 2010, but no new students will be admitted for fall 2009. The VCCS will continue to offer the CNP, and persons interested in it should contact Dr. Barbara Laird, program director, at blaird@jtcc.edu.

Virginia Western entered the CNP partnership in 2006. At that time, the college was one of four state community colleges selected to take part the VCCS's initiative. The other community colleges offering CNP then were John Tyler Community College, Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave and Germanna Community College in Fredericksburg.

Last week Virginia Western notified students currently enrolled in the program by mail that it would discontinue the program and Dr. Laird was on campus today to conduct an information session for potential students.
Virginia Western Community College is a two-year public institution of higher education operating under a statewide system of community colleges. The College operates under the policies established by the State Board for Community Colleges and the Virginia Western Community College Board. It offers day, evening, and weekend classes on a 70-acre campus located in Southwest Roanoke as well as at off-campus locations in the area. The College was established in 1966 and has grown from an initial enrollment of 1,352 to its current enrollment of over 12,500 students.