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Tag: U.Va.-Wise

U.Va. Wise receives largest ever donation

The University of Virginia’s College at Wise has received its largest ever donation, $11.2 million, from The Bill Gatton Foundation, the Wise County college announced Monday.

The late Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton, a successful businessman who owned the Gatton Automotive Group with dealerships in Kentucky and Tennessee, made significant gifts to the University of Kentucky and East Tennessee State University during his lifetime, and after his 2022 death, his Bristol-based foundation has made further donations, including $2 million to Emory & Henry University in 2023.

According to U.Va. Wise’s announcement, the foundation’s donation will create six endowed funds and support:

  • The Chancellor’s Greatest Needs Fund, which includes the naming of a hospitality suite and seating box at the David J. Prior Center, which hosts sporting events and concerts;
  • Naming of the Bill Gatton Department of Nursing;
  • Naming of the Bill Gatton Department of Technology Management and Data Analytics, and construction of the department’s new building;
  • Creation of the Bill Gatton Scholars Program, with three new scholarship funds. U.Va. will match this donation with $4.5 million.
  • Creation of the Rachel Clay-Keohane Mathematics Fund to honor the longtime U.Va. Wise faculty member, alumna and head coach of the college’s women’s basketball team;
  • Support and naming of the Bill Gatton Softball Field.

“To say this gift will be transformative doesn’t really capture the monumental impact that it will have,” Donna P. Henry, U.Va. Wise’s chancellor, said in a statement. “Every future student at the college will benefit from this gift.”

With U.Va.’s scholarship matching funds, the Gatton Foundation’s gift will add $15.7 million to the school’s $166 million endowment, according to the announcement.

‘A world of opportunities’

From its founding as a two-year junior college designed to expand higher education opportunities in the Appalachian coal-mining country of Southwest Virginia, the University of Virginia’s College at Wise has expanded into a four-year liberal arts college with an influential impact on regional economic and workforce development.

Many of the programs of study at the college have evolved in response to student interest, as well as workforce demands from growing regional industries such as health care, education, information technology, and hospitality and tourism.

“Here at the college, we really try to lean into our region and support new opportunities through our academic programming and engaging students through internships and service projects throughout the community,” says Donna Price Henry, who has served as U.Va. Wise’s chancellor since 2013. “One thing we heard from our students as they were leaving to head off into the workforce or continuing on to graduate school was the need to understand big data, so data analytics came onto our radar as something our students were interested in learning more about.”

U.Va. Wise is currently developing its Institute of Applied Data Analytics, which will open in Darden Hall in spring 2024 and be led by Gurkan Akalin, the new chair of the college’s Department of Business and Economics. Prior to joining the faculty in August, Akalin served as assistant chair for administration and an associate professor at Eastern Illinois University’s Lumpkin College of Business and Technology.

“Data analytics is an exploding area,” says Akalin, who also will serve as the institute’s executive director and a professor of business analytics. “When you think about it, every industry uses data in one form or another, whether it’s journalism, real estate, marketing, finance, human resources, transportation or banking. We are all consumers of data, as well as generators of data. We need to teach our students how to use this data in a responsible way.”

Gurkan Akalin, who joined U.Va. Wise in August as chair of its Department of Business and Economics, is overseeing the establishment of the Institute of Applied Data Analytics as well as a new hospitality and tourism program. Photo by Mark Robertson-Baker II/U.Va. Wise

Starting out as a vehicle for research and consultancy, the institute plans to develop and offer academic programs — pending approval from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia — that will provide students with a foundation in applied data analytics. In spring 2024, U.Va. Wise’s Business and Economics and Mathematics and Computer Science departments will begin offering classes in data analytics and modeling, artificial intelligence, and data visualization and analytics. Akalin says the institute will eventually develop certificate programs and workshops to assist regional businesses and provide employment opportunities for students.

“We want to provide skills and knowledge to enhance students’ education and prepare them for careers which will be useful to local companies and increase economic development in the region,” says Akalin. “The mission is not to just train and graduate these students, but to keep them here in Southwest Virginia.”

The institute also plans to branch into topics such as AI and applied analytics in fields such as accounting, cybersecurity and cloud computing, says Akalin. Additionally, the college is in the process of developing a new master’s degree program related to data analytics, with the aim of launching it within the next few years.

“We want to be at the forefront of the new technologies that are shaping businesses and organizations,” he stresses. The institute will also support and conduct research collaboratively with college faculty, and consult with local businesses and governments to support their needs.

The institute, Henry says, “will provide much-needed consulting services and research to fuel businesses and entrepreneurial efforts in the region. Our programs will train and equip students to succeed after graduation in those emerging fields on day one and even create startups for new innovative businesses of their own.”

Akalin, whose background is in industrial engineering and business administration, has considerable hands-on business experience that he plans to bring to the classroom. His time in the corporate world includes roles as a quantitative and data analyst for financial services firm Morningstar and as an operations analyst for Norfolk Southern.

Progressive ‘Rock’

In addition to overseeing the institute, Akalin is helping to develop the college’s hospitality and tourism program, which is also under the umbrella of the U.Va. Wise Department of Business and Economics.

“We are at the center of a growing region, just one hour from Bristol and Kingsport, [Tennessee], in the Southwest corner of the state, and about two hours from Knoxville and Nashville, Tennessee, and Asheville, North Carolina,” says Akalin. “It’s an extremely picturesque area that’s very attractive to tourism in terms of scenery and access to outdoor activities. This region has so much potential, and U.Va. Wise wants to be part of that innovation.”

The college recently hired its first hospitality and tourism management assistant professor, Cherry Brewer, who has taught hospitality courses internationally, including serving most recently as an assistant professor of hospitality and tourism management at North Carolina’s Western Carolina University. Her industry experience includes a stint as a tour guide in Bangkok, working in a hotel in Paris and operating a restaurant in Australia.

Southwest Virginia, Henry says, “is looking to reinvent itself in the tourism and hospitality industry, with a number of boutique hotels on the horizon and the new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Bristol, Virginia, which will bring numerous jobs and provide tourism potential for the region.”

The first casino to operate in Virginia, the temporary, 30,000-square-foot Hard Rock Bristol opened in July 2022 in the former Bristol Mall. The $500 million-plus, 90,000-square-foot permanent Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol is under construction nearby, with plans to open in July 2024. The temporary casino has created about 600 jobs, and when the permanent casino opens with a 2,200-seat theater next year, it is expected to generate 1,300 direct jobs and bring in more than $21 million in annual tax revenue for Bristol. (The temporary casino has generated $24 million in its first 10 months.)

Founded in 1954, U.Va. Wise now encompasses a 396-acre campus in the Appalachian Mountains, serving more than 1,900 students. Photo courtesy U.Va. Wise

“We’ve already had conversations with the CEO of the Hard Rock, indicating that internships will be a big part of that opening and noting that they want to engage with our students as they go through their academic programs,” Henry says. She stresses that U.Va. Wise is “looking to build a program that will not only partner with that facility but will also support the region more broadly in the areas of tourism and hospitality.”

Marina Alvidrez, vice president of human resources for Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, says the casino “is excited to partner with U.Va. Wise. We look forward to supporting students in the college’s new hospitality and tourism program. As U.Va. Wise students from Southwest Virginia want to remain here in the region to pursue hospitality and tourism careers, Hard Rock wants to work with those students to offer rewarding and enriching career opportunities.”

Career launch pad

A new hospitality and tourism management major will be available at U.Va. Wise in fall 2024, pending approval of the college’s Academic Program Committee, and will offer courses in foundations for business management and specialized segments of hospitality and tourism, including hotel and lodging management, tourism development, event planning, food and beverage, business ethics, and casino operations. These six courses will be the cornerstone of the college’s hospitality and tourism undergraduate program. Additionally, pending approval from SCHEV, U.Va. Wise plans to offer a certificate program in hospitality and tourism management.

Brewer is currently teaching two hospitality and tourism courses, an introductory course and a marketing class. “These new classes will provide great transferable skills that students can use in many parts of their education and their lives,” she says. “We are building a program so students will have both the soft and hard skills that will be essential in this emerging industry in our region.”

Internships and experiential learning will play a key role in the hospitality and tourism major.

“We plan to work with local tourism organizations in this region so our students can gain hands-on experience, establish connections and network, which will provide a pathway for their future careers,” Brewer says. “We’re also making connections with local businesses like wineries, hotels, the upcoming casino and other hospitality-based organizations in the region that can provide career opportunities for our students.”

Students enrolled in the hospitality and tourism major will be eligible for up to 21 hours in internships with local businesses and will be encouraged to work in the industry in conjunction with their classes.

“If students have experience working, for example, at the casino or in a hotel management position, we would like to count that experience as part of their curriculum credits,” Akalin says. “We don’t want our students to feel that they need to learn everything in their classes; we want them to take advantage of the opportunities and the industry around us.”

Hospitality and tourism studies are not only focused on hotel and restaurant management, however, Brewer notes. “The industry combines so many different sectors,” she says, “including transportation, health care, theme parks, resorts, airlines or working as a tour guide. A student can get a business foundation through this program and work in any industry they like. Education is the key that will open the door to a world of opportunities.”

U.Va. Wise’s hospitality and data analytics programs are being designed to work together to support economic development and workforce needs in the communities and industries surrounding the college, as well as encouraging students to remain in the area after they graduate.

“Economic development is critical to the continued growth and success of our region and our students’ future careers and lives,” Henry says. “The institute and our new business programs are building a foundation to provide the skills, education, internships and research opportunities to prepare them for cutting-edge careers.”

At a glance

Founded
Founded in 1954 under the umbrella of the University of Virginia as Clinch Valley College in Wise County, the University of Virginia’s College at Wise was established to serve students living in Southwest Virginia’s mountainous coal-mining country. The public liberal arts college was started on a farm with two sandstone buildings and operated as a junior college throughout the late 1950s and 1960s. The college began offering four-year degrees in 1966 and was officially renamed the University of Virginia’s College at Wise in 1999. Today, the campus encompasses 396 acres amid the scenic Appalachian Mountains, with 26 main buildings serving more than 1,900 students, just 60 minutes from the Tri-Cities of Tennessee and Virginia. 

Enrollment*

Undergraduate: 1,907
Graduate: 22

Student profile*

Male-to-female enrollment ratio: 1:17
In-state students: 83%
Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) students: 12%
Out-of-state students: 5% (outside ARC)
International students: 35 students from 20 countries

Academic programs*

U.Va. Wise has 33 majors and 40 minors, including a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree, an online business administration degree and a new Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree in curriculum and instruction. Fields of study include business and economics, visual and performing arts, natural sciences, communications, mathematics and computer science, social sciences, language and literature, history and philosophy, nursing, and education.

Faculty and staff*

U.Va. Wise has more than 100 full-time and 30 part-time faculty members. Students and faculty are supported by 230 full-time and 30 part-time staff members.

Tuition, fees, housing and dining*

Virginia resident: $11,780 per year
Out-of-state resident: $32,530 per year
ARC/TAG** resident: $12,508 per year
Housing: $7,058 per year
Meal plans: $5,299 per year (commuter meal plans are also available)

*Fall 2023 enrollment numbers
** Students who live in Kentucky, Tennessee or the Appalachian Region Commission’s service area

September 2023 Virginia 500 Spotlight: DONNA PRICE HENRY

FIRST JOB: I worked at a Dairy Queen during the summers while I was in high school.

FAVORITE APP: Apple Fitness, except when it tells me that I’m behind in meeting my goals for the day

HOW I BALANCE WORK AND PERSONAL LIFE: Some days, I am better at this than others. In my role as chancellor, my days are full, as are evenings and weekends at events at the college and in the community. I love my family and their support of my work. When I’m with them, I try to be completely present. My favorite time is in the kitchen and enjoying conversations.

DID YOU KNOW? U.Va. Wise’s first female chancellor and a biologist by training, Henry arrived in 2013 from Florida Gulf Coast University. She has degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. This fall, the college began offering its first graduate degree program: a master’s of education degree. 

U.Va. Wise launches master’s degree in education

Like the rest of the country, Virginia’s public schools are suffering from a teacher shortage. In the 2022-23 academic year, there were 3,573 vacancies statewide, and more teachers are working with only provisional licenses, which don’t require teacher preparation courses.

In Southwest Virginia, though, educators are signing up for a master’s degree in education that the University of Virginia’s College at Wise is offering this fall, its first graduate-level degree program. Applications opened May 1, and the school received more than 40 responses in the first three weeks, even though tuition for the 2023-24 year hadn’t yet been set, says U.Va. Wise Chancellor Donna Price Henry.

“We were hoping that this first cohort will have 20 students, so we’re excited that we have more applications than that,” she says. “We’re planning to accommodate all who qualify.”

Although teachers can get licensed in Virginia with a bachelor’s degree, many opt for master’s degrees because they can qualify for higher pay and often gain more job opportunities — but Southwest Virginia lags behind Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads in the number of teachers who have master’s degrees in education. 

U.Va. Wise’s board of visitors approved the program last year, and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia approved the degree in March.

“Education seemed to make the most sense for our first master’s degree program,” Henry says. “Our thought was that if we could offer a graduate degree, it would provide teachers with that access, and then, hopefully, that enhanced education might help them to be better teachers.”

The nearly 69-year-old college worked with the University of Virginia to create the 30-credit-hour program, which has a concentration in curriculum and instruction. “[Graduates] will be better equipped to design curriculum, supervise other teachers and go into administration,” says SCHEV Director of Academic Affairs Joseph DeFilippo.

The new program will also provide those without a teaching license the courses they need to be provisionally licensed in special education and other subjects, Henry says. It’s flexible, with a full-time track that takes a year to complete, a five-year part-time path, and a combination of remote, in-person and hybrid courses.

“We could add some different tracks in the future, and one track that we’re looking at is for librarians, which is a need across the commonwealth,” as well as a track for reading specialists, she says.   

Colleges need to play a role in rebuilding the economy, panelists say

As Virginia moves into its recovery phase from the COVID-19 pandemic, economic leaders say there is work to be done to support college students and Virginians who are changing careers, especially in terms of equal opportunities.

Thomas Barkin, president and CEO of the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank, and Virginia Economic Development Partnership President and CEO Stephen Moret discussed the role of higher education institutions in rebuilding the economy during the Vibrant Virginia Virtual Forum Series hosted by Virginia Tech on Friday.

“I think one of our really big challenges is how do we get those people back into the workforce,” Barkin said of students and adult learners. “And in many cases, they’ll be back in jobs they had before … but in many cases they won’t. There’s an opportunity to extend what’s been innovated in online learning into retraining.”

While colleges, universities and workplaces transitioned into virtual working and learning experiences, the inequities present in higher education became more clear, panelists agreed. Those who were already struggling financially before the pandemic were affected more during it. 

“In general, folks who have less than a college degree face much more economic impact than those who have a college degree,” Moret said. “This is something that’s had a tremendously negative impact on our country, but it’s an impact that’s been even more harshly felt by certain sectors and certain types of individuals.” Panelists also said that degree and certification rates are down as the result of the pandemic, largely due to the inequities that exist with broadband access, which has been held back in many rural areas because of the expense in building the “final mile” to individual homes.

“We’re actually dealing with multiple crises in higher education and society,” said James Madison University President Jonathan Alger. “The pandemic itself had brought to the forefront a whole series of equity issues, such as access to broadband.”  

At his news conference Thursday, Gov. Ralph Northam noted that about 550,000 Virginia households lack access to broadband internet, which limits their ability to take online classes and work remotely. Although the state had budgeted about $70 million to expand access over the next two years, new spending has been paused because of the economic impact of the pandemic. 

Economic boosters, including the VEDP, are champions of ubiquitous broadband access, but accomplishing that is no small task. At the pace projects and funding are moving, it will take an additional seven to eight years for all Virginians to gain broadband access, Moret said. The state is now pursuing federal funds to assist the effort, Northam said Thursday. 

Panelists compared today’s higher education and workforce needs to those during the 18th and 19th century’s Industrial Revolution and post-World War II. Just as soldiers returned home from war in need of new jobs outside their military training, today’s students will need more access to digital technology training to adapt to a post-COVID-19 world, panelists said.

“The biggest problem is actually the folks who don’t complete [college degrees] and that have this huge burden of debt without getting the earnings premium associated with going to college,” Moret said. “We’ve got to deal with completion rates. We’ve got to deal with better helping students to finish college. We need to develop a more stable funding structure for public higher education in the United States.” 

Also, the pandemic has put even greater strain on community colleges, which host more technical programs that require in-person training, said Virginia Western Community College President Robert H. Sandel. All in-person classes had to be put on hold until summer and fall sessions, so his college has been at work on new certification programs in the digital technology sector to continue to prepare students for the workforce.

JMU, the University of Virginia’s College at Wise and Marymount University have also invested more time and effort into creating certification programs and creating talent pipelines for its students to help boost local economies post-pandemic.

Students can prepare for the demands of a digital economy by getting additional work experience while attending school, through partnerships with regional businesses and nonprofits, panelists said, which may also help students find jobs after graduation.

“Higher education should be viewed as central to the economic recovery and moving beyond where we are,” U.Va. Wise Chancellor Donna Henry said. “In difficult times, like after World War II and the Industrial Revolution, there were investments in higher education when it was difficult to find [jobs]. I think that the commonwealth and the country really need to step up and pour more resources into higher education so that we can create the workforce that’s needed.”

 

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