“Words cannot truly express how grateful and appreciative I am of all the people who made this listening tour a resounding success. After traveling 3,600 miles in my first 36 days, I’ve found while there are regional nuances between our colleges, there are also common themes that will bring us together and help the system at large succeed.” VCCS Chancellor David Doré’s first days in office were devoted mainly to a road trip across Virginia.
This newsletter reported highlights on April 25 for the first portion of the Chancellor’s statewide tour. In today’s edition, we offer some images from the rest of his tour, and more of Dr. Doré’s thoughts on the journey. We can also offer a link to let you view and download images from Doré’s visits to all 23 colleges.
“I could not think of a better way to start this position than by going to every single one of our colleges,” Dr. Doré told the VCCS State Board May 18. Doré made a point of speaking with faculty, staff and community leaders at each of the colleges.
“But I think a group that that I was really interested in making sure that I heard from was from students, many of whom are parents and must overcome major obstacles to attend classes and learn new skills to improve their lives,” he added.
“And I believe we have not touched the tip of the iceberg around mental health, Doré added. “That is something that I heard at every single college, that students are dealing with levels of stress and anxiety and depression that I believe are unprecedented.”
Above, Dr. Doré visited Tidewater Community College April 24 and 25, and Eastern Shore Community College, below, on April 26.
From ESCC, the smallest of Virginia’s Community Colleges, the tour traveled to the largest college in the system, Northern Virginia Community College, seen below. Two days were needed just to scratch the surface of a school that serves 70,000 students annually across six campuses.
Our colleges in Virginia’s urban centers reflect the diverse populations of students we serve. The Chancellor met with students from different backgrounds at Reynolds Community College, below, and also received some instruction at the school’s culinary center.
Laurel Ridge and Blue Ridge Community Colleges were important reminders that our colleges serve the workforce training needs of their regional employers. And short-term industry credential programs under the FastForward banner are helping Virginia businesses find workers with the right skills.
Above, Chancellor’s visit to Laurel Ridge on May 2. Later that same day, Doré visited BRCC, below.
“I talked to a lot of learners who were going through the FastForward program,” Doré told the VCCS State Board. “The FastForward program, I believe, is the national model for the future of higher education. These short-term programs provide critical access to a better life. We are having learners come onto our campuses who may have never stepped foot on a college campus in their lives. And that’s a very diverse group of learners.”
Doré’s visit to Mountain Gateway Community College, below, on May 3 underscored the importance of collaboration among our colleges, and spotlighted MGCC’s Forestry program, the only one of its kind in our system.
Brightpoint and Reynolds serve a growing pharmaceutical manufacturing hub in the Richmond area. Doré’s visit at Brightpoint, below, occurred May 4.
An important goal of the Chancellor’s tour was to visit all our colleges before the end of the spring semester. With spring graduations fast approaching, Rappahannock and Germanna Community Colleges, below, carved out time May 9 for Dr. Doré to meet with faculty, staff, students and community leaders.
At Germanna, above, Dr. Doré received yet another reminder of the critical importance of having up-to-date facilities, such as medical simulators, to be able to meet the ever-evolving needs of the health care industry.
Reminder: lots more photos from the Chancellor’s listening tour are available to view and download.
