Community college to start engineering program

Media General News Service

Published: October 12, 2008

A two-year engineering program will begin next fall at John Tyler Community College with help from a $400,000 grant from Altria.

Students who earn the first engineering associate degrees at John Tyler in 2011 will be able to go on to an engineering bachelor’s degree at the community college in Chesterfield County by taking distance-education courses from the University of Virginia, if all goes according to plan.

The program and grant were announced last night at an annual gala sponsored by the John Tyler Community College Foundation at the Country Club of Virginia. The event raises money for scholarships.

The new engineering curriculum was designed in consultation with U.Va.‘s School of Engineering and Applied Science so that students would have guaranteed admission to the U.Va. engineering program in Charlottesville, said L. Ray Drinkwater, vice president of academic and student services at John Tyler. A student also could transfer to other four-year institutions in the state after completing the John Tyler program.

“If it’s not convenient to pick up and go to Charlottesville,” Drinkwater added, “you could get your bachelor’s in the community” through a combination of on-site and distance-learning courses.

Students would save money because community college tuition is a third of the cost of schools such as U.Va., Virginia Tech or Virginia Commonwealth University, said John Tyler President Marshall W. Smith.

Community colleges in Lynchburg and Danville were the first to collaborate with U.Va. on engineering programs. The engineering associate degrees will be awarded in Lynchburg this spring.

Smith said John Tyler was interested in the program because of the opportunity to work closely with U.Va. and the benefits for the community.

Engineers are in short supply regionally as well as nationally, he said.

“One of our strengths has been that our students already live in the area and are likely to remain there. It’s a positive outcome for businesses hiring.”

In addition to Altria’s grant, the program is getting support from Rolls-Royce, which is building an aircraft engine production facility in Prince George County. Rolls-Royce will provide paid internships for students and professional-development opportunities for faculty members.

Smith considers the engineering program “a major initiative” for the school.

“Engineering is a complex area that requires a level of sophistication in teaching and learning. That’s important for us,” he said. “Also, it’s another service we can provide to the community.”

Katherine Calos is a staff writer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch.