Program strengthens the pipeline from Virginia Western to Roanoke
Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
ROANOKE–Roanoke College and Virginia Western Community College have created a new program, Rapid Maroons, that will provide a direct path to Roanoke College for students who choose to begin their post-secondary education at Virginia Western, the colleges announced this week.
Roanoke College President Frank Shushok Jr. and Virginia Western President Robert Sandel met to sign the agreement on Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 2 p.m. at Fishburn Hall, first floor, on the Virginia Western Community College campus.
The Rapid Maroons Program is designed for students who are accepted to Roanoke but choose, for a variety of reasons, to start their college careers at Virginia Western, as well as those who do not initially meet academic requirements for admission to Roanoke College. The agreement will allow those students to make progress in their intended Roanoke College major during their time at Virginia Western. It will also give them access to joint advising services and student activities at Roanoke College while they are studying at Virginia Western, helping them to meet Roanoke’s academic requirements for transfer while integrating them into student life at both schools.
In addition to support services, activities and events afforded to Virginia Western students, Rapid Maroons will enjoy opportunities available to Roanoke College students, including membership in clubs, organizations and intramural athletics, and access to community events such as athletic matchups, artistic performances and lectures.
“This partnership is another important piece in our ongoing effort to create pipelines to Roanoke College and partnerships in our community,” Shushok said. “We hope to see these Rapid Maroons on the Roanoke College campus as often as possible. We expect the joint advising will help to keep these students on a four-year path to graduation. We want Rapid Maroons to have a sense of belonging on our campus long before they begin the transfer process.”
The program will be jointly administered by Roanoke College and Virginia Western to support degree attainment for students of both institutions. Students in the program will enroll in courses at Virginia Western and be encouraged to complete their associate degrees there; they will also declare a curricular program at Roanoke College and receive academic counseling designed to ensure a smooth transfer to Roanoke following completion of their community college studies.
In 2019-20, 9% of Virginia Western students who transferred went to Roanoke College. “Virginia Western is the right step for some students who can picture themselves at Roanoke College,” said Sandel. “We care deeply about our students’ success, and the support systems built into the Rapid Maroons Program will help ensure a successful transition from one phase of their higher education journey to the next.”
The colleges said students who complete at least 21 credit hours at Virginia Western and earn a grade point average of 2.0 or higher will be eligible to enroll in classes at Roanoke College without re-applying. Students who don’t meet the credit hour or GPA threshold will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Virginia Western students enrolled in the program may use their Virginia Western Valley Metro passes for transportation between Virginia Western and Roanoke College.
Rapid Maroons is one of several partnerships Roanoke College has created in the past year to help develop pathways for students to enter Roanoke College and to pursue careers and graduate education opportunities. Other initiatives include Direct to Tech, a partnership with Deloitte for student career training and several pre-professional partnerships to give Roanoke students, with qualifying grades, access to admissions slots or guaranteed interviews at medical, nursing and physical therapy programs.
