News Releases @ TCC

 

 

NORFOLK, Va. - (Jan. 27, 2005) - Beginning this February, dozens of teens will get the chance to “make double time” in their 11th grade classes.

By attending one of Virginia’s first Middle College High School programs - a partnership between Tidewater Community College and Norfolk Public School (NPS) - students will complete requirements for high school graduation while earning college credits toward an associate degree - all through classes on the college’s city campus.

“This unique educational experience offers a new learning environment and an opportunity to participate in college life and enroll in college courses,” explains TCC Norfolk Campus Provost Quintin Bullock, who worked in collaboration with NPS to develop the project. “We’re proud of this collaborative and innovative program that seeks to serve the diverse needs of our students, while enhancing the preparedness of our future leaders.”

“The more methods we have to reach today’s diverse high school populations - addressing different backgrounds, learning styles and needs - the better the odds are for student success and persistence into college,” says James Victory, executive director for secondary schools, NPS.

Students are based full time at TCC’s Norfolk Campus, receiving rigorous academic instruction, academic counseling and a variety of support services. Students also have access to campus resources like the library and computer labs.

“This program is very progressive,” says Susan Sigler, program leader, NPS. “Once we get the Middle College students involved in their classes on TCC’s campus, we’ll be a step ahead in motivating them socially and emotionally, and encouraging them to be lifelong learners.”

In the first year, approximately 40 juniors from five Norfolk high schools passed academic testing and have been accepted into the program. In year two, as these students move on to their senior year, up to 50 additional students will be accepted into the program.

The five participating high schools are:
Booker T. Washington, Granby, Lake Taylor, Norview, and Maury.

                                                                             ###

Tidewater Community College is the second largest of the 23 community colleges in the Commonwealth of Virginia, enrolling more than 35,000 students annually. The 37th largest in the nation’s 1,600 community-college network, TCC ranks among the 50 fastest-growing large community colleges. Founded in 1968 as a part of the Virginia Community College System, the college serves the South Hampton Roads region with campuses in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach as well as the TCC Jeanne and George Roper Performing Arts Center in the theater district in downtown Norfolk, the Visual Arts Center in Olde Towne Portsmouth and a regional Advanced Technology Center in Virginia Beach. Forty-four percent of the region’s residents attending a college or university in Virginia last fall were enrolled at TCC. For more information, visit www.tcc.edu