The Student Experience

Who Studies at the Roanoke Higher Education Center?

Our students include residents from all over the Roanoke Valley and surrounding areas, from high school through retirement age. They may be looking to start their first career, boost a current one, or change directions professionally. They might be enrolled in a short-term training course, or pursuing a longer-term goal like an advanced degree.

They are students enrolled at our many different member institutions, who come together in this shared space to learn and improve. The degrees and certificates students earn while studying at the Roanoke Higher Education Center are the same ones they would get if they were resident students on campus, and credits can transfer to other accredited colleges and universities.

Your Classes

Programs here are offered in a mix of traditional classroom instruction, computer-assisted instruction, and distance learning formats. Most classes are scheduled for evenings and weekends, to make them more accessible for students who work during business hours.

On-Site

Classes are held in our Roanoke Higher Education Center facilities, with professors who lead instruction either in-person or through video conferencing.

Online Synchronous

These are live, via online connection. You log on during class times from any computer or mobile device with a high-speed Internet connection and have the chance to ask questions and participate in real-time discussions. If the course streams video from classes on your institution’s campus, you’ll also be able to see and hear classmates. Otherwise, you’ll speak to the instructor and fellow students at their various locations via your device audio, or type questions and feedback into a chatroom-style window where you can read others’ messages and respond in real time.

Online Asynchronous

Asynchronous classes are also online and led by an instructor, but the materials are available for you to access online at whatever time is most convenient. You can review course materials at your own pace and you’ll submit assignments by their set deadlines.

Hybrid

Programs listed as “hybrid” usually mix a few on-site or synchronous meetings with asynchronous course materials, to combine the benefits of face-to-face time with your instructor and the flexibility of being able to access lectures and assignments on your own time.

Studying at the Center

We have a library where you can access academic journals, check out items, print and scan, and get help with research. You can grab a meal or a snack without having to leave the center. Or use the computer lab or high-speed Internet in the student lounge if you need a quiet place to study.

Buildings and Facilities