Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College

This article is about the community college in West Virginia. For the community college in Virginia, see Southwest Virginia Community College.
Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College
Other name
Southern
Former name
Marshall University branch college in Williamson and Logan
TypePublic community college
EstablishedJuly 1, 1971; 53 years ago (July 1, 1971)[1]
Parent institution
West Virginia Community and Technical College System
PresidentPamela L. Alderman[2]
Academic staff
83[3]
Undergraduates1,118[4]
Location
Mount Gay
,
West Virginia
,
United States

37°40′32″N 82°17′35″W / 37.675433°N 82.293189°W / 37.675433; -82.293189
CampusRural
Websitewww.southernwv.edu

Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College (Southern) is a public community college with its main campus in Mount Gay, West Virginia. It is part of the West Virginia Community and Technical College System.

History

The school was founded as the Logan and Williamson branches of Marshall College in 1960 and renamed as branches of Marshall University when their mother institution achieved university status in 1961. It had community college jurisdiction over Logan and Mingo counties. In both cases, the schools were housed in the buildings that had been surplussed by the desegregation of public education. The "branch college", as it was often called, sported basketball teams at each of its two campuses.

In 1970, the two branches were merged and became a stand-alone community college. The college's jurisdiction was expanded to include Boone County and Wyoming County. Classes in these counties were held in leased locations until 1971, when a permanent building was constructed in Williamson.

In the 1980s, the college was refocused and permanent buildings were built in each county.

Academics

Southern provides both associate degrees in 2-year fields (career/technical programs) and the first two years of a four-year degree in the anticipation of a transfer to a bachelor's level institution.

The service area of the school was expanded by 1995 legislation that divided West Virginia into eleven districts. Southern serves all of Boone, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mingo, and Wyoming counties.

As of 2023, approximately 1,100 students are enrolled at the college and thirty-seven percent are part-time students.[5] Less than half of the students who enrolled in Fall of 2022 returned the following fall; 19 percent graduated and did not return the following fall, while 32 percent simply did not return.[6]

The school has no residential programs and no athletics. In 2021, new college president Pam Alderman changed the school colors from gold and black to a light blue.[7] In 2022, Alderman created the school's first mascot Bestfoot, which was reported as a choice by students.[8]

Locations

Prior to the early 2020s, Southern campuses were located in Mount Gay, Williamson, Foster, and Saulsville, with a site in Hamlin. However, as of 2024, new college president President Pam Alderman chose to close the Wyoming Campus and offered the building for sale.[9] Another campus was lost later in 2024 when the Boone County Board of Education ejected Southern from its shared building.[10]

References

  1. ^ "History". www.southernwv.edu. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College Announces Dr. Pamela Alderman as President". www.southernwv.edu. Mount Gay, W.Va. May 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  3. ^ "Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College". nces.ed.gov. National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  4. ^ "Enrollment Report Fall 2023" (PDF). WV HEPC. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  5. ^ "Enrollment Report Fall 2023" (PDF). WV HEPC. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  6. ^ "Enrollment Report Fall 2023" (PDF). WV HEPC. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  7. ^ Vidovich, Dylan. "SWVCTC Unveils New Logo and Colors". Logan Banner. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  8. ^ McAuliffe, Merrily. "Meet the New Mascot at Southern WV Community & Technical College". Channel 13 News. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  9. ^ Sandler, Danielle. "Wyoming County Campus of Southern WV Community and Technical College to be Sold". 59 News. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  10. ^ Adkins, Roger. "Boone BOE Ends Lease with Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College". Logan Banner. Retrieved 11 January 2025.