The Roanoke Higher Education Center, home to 17 undergraduate, graduate, and workforce training institutions and organizations from across Virginia and North Carolina, marked its fifth anniversary with a series of public and private events in September and October. Fifth anniversary events included a picnic luncheon for the staff and faculty of the Center held in the Center’s front yard on what turned out to be a perfect day in mid September. The event was planned to thank the staff and faculty for their contributions to the operation of the Center, and to recognize how central their efforts have been to the Center’s success.

A Community Open House was offered on October 6 during which the public was invited to tour the Center’s facilities and talk with representatives from higher and continuing education partners about programs offered at the Center. Sponsored by Cox Communications and radio station Q99, the event included hot dogs, Dr. Pepper and ice cream provided by the Q99 Diner as well as a live remote broadcast by Q99 from the Center.

A Gala Celebration Event was held at the Center on October 22. Keeping in theme with the building’s art deco architecture, a black-and-white, beaux arts-style party was held in the atrium and adjoining rooms on the main floor. The evening was sponsored by Gentry Lock Rakes & Moore, LLP, the firm on the move, and included light dining, and the jazz interpretations of the Cyrus Pace Trio.

Also in October the Center published its 5th Anniversary Annual Report covering progress over the last five years with a view of plans for the five years ahead.

According to Thomas McKeon, executive director of the Center, the anniversary events celebrate the Center’s growth as a focal point for higher education and workforce training in Southwest Virginia, as well as serve to thank those whose involvement helped make that success possible. “We invited the entire community will join with us to celebrate the Center’s success,” says McKeon. “The Center has become an asset to Western and Southwest Virginia businesses, government, and students alike.”

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The Roanoke Higher Education Center, which has been hailed as a model for education in the new millennium, offers nearly 200 programs of study through the Center’s partner organizations, says McKeon. Averett University, Bluefield College, Jefferson College of Health Sciences, Ferrum College, Hampton University, Hollins University, Mary Baldwin College, Old Dominion University, Radford University, Roanoke College, TAP - This Valley Works job training programs, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Virginia, Virginia Intermont College, Virginia Tech, and Virginia Western Community College offer undergraduate and graduate level courses. The New Century Technology Council and the Western Virginia Workforce Development Board are also located at the Center.

In August 2000, the Roanoke Center welcomed its first class of 2,500 students to newly renovated classrooms located in the former headquarters of the Norfolk and Western Railroad in downtown Roanoke. A total of $19 million in state, local and private capital, as well as federal and state historic tax credits, had been used to transform the 1931 Art Deco building into a state-of-the-art facility for learning.

Historical Photo Gallery of the Roanoke Higher Education Center

McKeon says that in its first five years of operation, the Center has realized the goal of being an inclusive campus that acts as a resource for all people. Students, ranging widely in age, are introduced to programs in technology, medical services, criminal justice, the liberal arts and business. People in need of job training and retraining receive the very best in instruction and career guidance. Individuals are able to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in a variety of disciplines and fields related to regional job opportunities. Businesses can access the technology and facilities of the RHEC to leverage training and competitive advantage.

“Thanks to its mix of traditional classrooms, computer labs, and distance learning technologies, the Roanoke Higher Education Center has become an incubator for innovative approaches to learning,” says McKeon.

In addition to higher education programs, the Center also accommodates the growing corporate training and meeting needs of companies across the region. With more than 57 available classrooms, a 2,100 square-foot meeting room and advanced computer technology and video conferencing facilities, the Center is able to accommodate all types of business gatherings. In 2004, nearly 15,000 people participated in conferences held at the RHEC.