Augusta will soon be home to the newest campus of Virginia College, a career college catering specifically to older students and people looking for a career change.
The college, based in Birmingham, Ala., is investing $3 million to renovate the former Salvation Army building behind Augusta Mall to serve as its campus and enroll up to 1,000 students, said Don Keith, vice president-marketing communications for Education Corporation of America, the college's parent company.
The Augusta campus, the 12th physical campus to be built, will offer diploma and degree programs primarily in the medical field, a high-demand area of the job market, Mr. Keith said.
"We try to be nimble," he said. "We follow the job market closely."
The college is similar to Phoenix University and Strayer University, both of which are already in Augusta, but Virginia College mostly offers diploma and associate degree programs rather than bachelor and advanced degrees.
Virginia College's schedule is flexible for students, offering daytime, nighttime and online classes, Mr. Keith said.
The college attracts students who are dissatisfied with their current job by offering them an education without requiring them to take courses not directly related to their field, as traditional colleges do.
"There is no fluff involved," he said.
Virginia College is part of a growing landscape of colleges in Augusta. In January, Strayer University opened. Phoenix University, which opened in 2006, is doubling its capacity.
The Augusta area is also home to other nontraditional colleges, including Brenau University, Georgia Military College and Troy University.
The economic downturn has meant more students for Virginia College, Mr. Keith said.
Online, it has more than 6,000 students, and it just opened a campus in Jacksonville, Fla.
The Augusta campus is expected to employ up to 200 people.
Work is continuing on Virginia College's Augusta campus, and it doesn't have a phone number yet.
Prospective students can learn how to apply by visiting www.vc.edu. Class is set to begin July 13.
Reach Greg Gelpi at (706) 828-3851 or greg.gelpi@augustachronicle.com.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Cambridge College in downtown Augusta's Lamar Building deserves a mention as well. It's success has brought expansion to another building. It serves area residents, but also draws others who stay overnight. Virginia College's location should bring it the same kind of success.
I have to wonder about the way colleges open branches in other towns. There must be a dozen of them around here. Doesn't all this detract from ASU's programs and expansion? It would be one thing to move into a town that didn't have a college, but this duplicates efforts and causes ASU, our hometown school, to lose students.
ASU does not cater to students who work full time. They have few nighttime classes and very little online coursework is available.
The same can be said for Augusta Technical College. they have some nightitme classes available but all programs are not available to students that work a regular full time job.
These private colleges are filling the needs of many students that can't afford to quit their jobs and become full time students.
Your are exactly right greygranny. I believe in fact that ASU has had increases in enrollment over the last 5 years, even with the new schools comming in.
Why can't a real college be brought here.
lol what is a real college. All colleges start out small and then grown into bigger one's.
The primary question concerning these satellite campuses that anyone who contemplates attending, should check to see if accredited and if classes are transferable to a senior college or university. Sprintman, you probably don't know this, but "real " colleges are accredited by the appropriate accrediting association and whose classes/grades are transferable to accredited colleges/univrsities. If there is an lol here, it is at you and your typical ignorance.
The colleges are all accredited, but ASU's enrollment has not grown as expected the past few years and I contend it is because of all these branch colleges coming into town. Sure, I understand if a program is not being offerred there is nothing wrong with another college stepping up. I wonder how hard it would be for ASU to offer each and every program that the others offer?
Sorry, but ASU does not stay competitive.....the parking is crap and not much offered in the way of the non-traditional student. One has to stay current to compete. If ASU is losing students, good. Stay competitive! Look beyond "that's the way things have always been done".
The subject of all these satellite schools springing up in Augusta would be an excellent subject for an article with Dr. Bloodworth of ASU. I'd like to see his comments on the matter. ASU (and Paine) is more to Augusta than classrooms in a renovated Salvation Army Bldg.
Plus, if you believe they will hire 200 people to work there, you must vote Democrat.
Gee, there will be no room for ignorance here, with a new college popping up on every street corner. But I do agree with a previous posting on this site. ASU does not cater to the nontraditional student. I went to school there in the evenings long enough to build up enough transfer credits to get into an online university. Parking at ASU was not designed for the convenience of students. While I was attending there, I had to call on a client in Barnwell, S.C., and also had an exam in my class that evening. I was tied up longer than I thought I would be in Barnwell and was racing against the clock and a rain storm to make it in time for my evening class and exam. Upon arriving on campus, rain was coming down and I had just a few minutes to spare. I saw an open parking space and pulled in, and grabbed my books and headed for class. Upon returning to my car, I found I had been issued a ticket for parking in space reserved for professors. I appealed the ticket, but lost the appeal. The fine was only ten dollars, but that cemented my decision not to go back to ASU when that semester was over. If ASU was so money hungry for a measly ten dollars, let them have it.
ASU attendance has gone up every year. Their building a new academic center in 2011. Paine college is building a health center now.
Hey Sprintman, I usually agree with you, but let me simply put the numbers out. You may be technically right, but 12 years ago, the enrolled students at ASU were 5510. Last semester there were 6687. Considering the increase in population in the CSRA and the dramatic rise in college students across the board, that is hardly a significant rise in 12 years. 12 years ago the talk was that ASU would soon have over 10 thousand. It hasn't come close and I believe it is because of these satellite colleges. I realize I am throwing out generalizations, but I'd like to hear the views of Dr. Bloodworth.
Riverman1 I think that could be true to some degree. But i think Atlanta colleges mainly and UGA. Along with some of the smaller one's like georgia southern, valdosta state, & albany state. Have took alot of the kids from the CSRA. ASU does have alot of students from counties in the CSRA. Plenty of kids from richmond, columbia, aiken, mcduffie, lincoln, burke, and etc.
If anyone doesn't think these other colleges soak up the students. http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2008/12/13/bus_503785.shtml
We don't need any more fly-by night schools.I have encountered many grads of these schools who have degrees but no skills. We need skillful peoople who can write and speak the English language.