Virginia Western Community College, which serves more than 13,000 students from the Roanoke Valley and beyond, has broken ground on a new 68,000 square foot, LEED-certified academic building. The Center for Science and Health Professions building will house science and health professions classes currently located in Anderson Hall.
The Center will significantly improve students’ learning environment with building-wide access to high tech features, expanded classroom space and state-of-the-art clinical and skills labs. The Center will also feature a dental clinic, offering routine oral exams and x-rays to the public, on the building’s first floor.
“This is one of the most important additions to the Virginia Western learning experience we’ve made in quite some time,” says Dr. Robert Sandel, president of Virginia Western. “Our science and health students will take advantage of the newest technologies and clinical settings – ensuring their skills and knowledge makes them competitive in today’s marketplace.”
Completion of the building is scheduled for early 2012. Barton Malow and CJMW Architects will manage the construction. The $27.5 million dollar facility is funded through a 2008 bond package approved by the General Assembly with approximately $2 million in college funds used to augment state funding for site improvements around the new building.
Groundbreaking ceremonies took place on Monday, August 16 on the Virginia Western campus. Virginia Western President Dr. Robert Sandel officiated over the ceremony which included remarks from Delegate Morgan Griffith and State Senator John Edwards.
Virginia Western Community College is a two-year public institution of higher education operating under a statewide system of community colleges. The school serves students from Roanoke, Salem, Roanoke County, Craig County, southern Botetourt County, and northern Franklin County. While the majority of classes are provided on its 70-acre Southwest Roanoke campus, classes are also offered 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 13,000.
