Higher Education and Economic Development in Appalachia
It would be difficult to list all of the small and tireless community colleges in Appalachia. I have chosen a sprinkling of them to mention here.
Southwest Virginia Community College (SVCC) stands out as one of the best community colleges in the region. Located in Richlands, Va., the college still has its original president, Dr. Charles King. Dr. King is a member of the CCA's Coordinating Board. SVCC has several campuses in Southwest Virginia and provides programs across a broad spectrum of technical fields. But the college also serves as a cultural center for the community and SVCC's annual Festival of the Arts makes a major contribution to community life.
Another good school in the central Appalachian area is Hazard Community College in Hazard, Ky. The president of Hazard Community College, Dr. G. Edward Hughes, is also vice-chairman of CCA.
Maryland's Appalachian panhandle has a good educational value in Garrett Community College. The college offers 2-year associate degrees and 1-year certificates in general Arts & Sciences areas, business administration, teacher education, natural resources and wildlife management, agriculture, and much more. The college also serves as an Internet service provider in rural Garrett County.
The Community College of Allegheny County in Pennsylvania has four campuses, including one in Pittsburgh's North Side area. The school has 350 full-time faculty, a 200,000-volume library and over 200 academic programs designed to prepare students for the job market.
Northwest-Shoals Community College in the Muscle Shoals, Ala., area offers a variety of programs geared toward local industry. Their Training for Business and Industry Department partners with area companies to meet specific training needs in a community college setting. The college also has a Center for Environmental Technology, Highway Construction Training program, computer courses and a management training program.
East Tennessee has a couple of good community college values. Northeast State Technical Community College is strategically situated in Blountville, Tenn., and is accessible from Kingsport, Bristol and Johnson City. The school has more than doubled its enrollment in the last few years and now has over 3,600 students. Cleveland State Community College, in Cleveland, Tenn., is another good value. Its Applied Science and Technology Division offers programs in computer business applications; heating, airconditioning and refrigeration; hospitality management, office systems and more.
The list goes on...
About 80 community college in the Appalachian region are making a dent in the economic
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