t Suppor For e Cas A

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1 A Case For Support

2 Dear Friends, I invite you to actively share the pride in Rappahannock Community College s service and reflect on the many ways the college is improving the region s vitality. Indeed, we have achieved many firsts, including reaching historic enrollment levels, adding vital programs like culinary and marine trades, reaching mature learners with RILL (Rappahannock Institute for Lifelong Learning) seminars, and breaking ground early with numerous Guaranteed Admission Agreements to help RCC students transfer seamlessly. The list of initiatives goes on, but I m asking you to become involved with an RCC first. The college is launching its Soaring Together major gifts campaign which was developed and is facilitated by community members including the RCC Educational Foundation board members and community Captains. Its success will strengthen future college service to the community by supporting five projects described in these pages. Supporting this college is a privilege that we hope to share with you. I am eager to talk with you further about how we can make RCC even stronger. With sincere thanks, Elizabeth Hinton Crowther President, Rappahannock Community College Secretary, RCC Educational Foundation, Inc. RCC Educational Foundation, Inc. Board John F. Bott Heathsville Anita H. Cook Irvington Catherine M. Courtney Callao Richard M. Foard, Esq. Gloucester George R. Hayes Gloucester Point Nancy W. Haynes, Vice President, Tappahannock Dr. Norman M. Howe, Jr., Treasurer, Dunnsville Marion R. Jones Walkerton Carolyn Lemon Gloucester Elliott D. Chip Minor III, President, Hague Audrey P. Mitchell Walkerton Austin L. Roberts III White Stone Walter S. Rowland, Esq. Millers Tavern Alexander Al Smith, Jr. Richmond Z. Curtis Smith Warsaw Katherine Steinouer Montross Margie W. Stevens Montross Martha M. Tallent Reedville Jane Towner Kilmarnock Elizabeth Libby K. Wolf Port Royal Ex-Officio Member RCC College President: Dr. Elizabeth H. Crowther Reedville Ex-Officio Member College Board Representative: Dr. Robert V. Gates Dahlgren

3 Rappahannock Community College a thriving educational community poised to contribute more Rappahannock Community College s (RCC) renaissance continues, as does community excitement about it. The reasons why are evident. RCC has among the largest percentage enrollment growth of any college in Virginia. Enrollment is up 33% over 2001, reaching a record 4,500 credit students. New educational programs in culinary and hospitality, emergency medical services, and marine trades support essential area industries. Nursing programs have been expanded to offer students rewarding careers and better meet the needs of healthcare employers across the college s 12-county region. RCC s credits have historically transferred, but students with qualifying GPAs may also automatically transfer to any of 30 highly regarded colleges and universities using RCC s Guaranteed Admission Agreements. Career Switchers and Teachers for Tomorrow programs help assure a talented pool of new teachers for area school systems. The most expansive dual-enrollment programs of their kind statewide offer advanced RCC study for top high school students. Additionally, RCC workforce development and non-credit programs serving citizens who live and work in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula areas grew by 63% in 2008 alone. What makes all of these improvements, expansions, and milestones even more remarkable is that the state funds only 59% of the actual cost to educate a student at RCC. Given state budget trends, this percentage will continue to drop further. RCC remains strong because it is well-managed and uses its funds to deliver resources directly to students. In addition, the college is able to keep tuition dollars gained through its enrollment growth. With support from alternative resources such as private donors, foundations, and federal grants, the college will be able to weather tough economic times, while repaying this support by serving the region well. Rappahannock Community College serves a 3,000 square mile, twelve-county area in eastern Virginia from its Warsaw campus on the Northern Neck, its Glenns campus on the Middle Peninsula, and its instructional site in King George. The college s graduates often continue to live and work in the region, so RCC is committed to its partnerships with universities and colleges, such as Old Dominion University and Mary Baldwin College, which allow area residents to continue their bachelor and master s level studies on RCC campuses. RCC is the only brick and mortar higher education presence in the region, and few colleges embody the hope and promise of their communities to the extent RCC does. Half of all students attending college from the area attend at RCC.

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5 Soaring even higher with your support Rappahannock Community College is growing its enrollment and deliberately expanding services to its community. Never has the college contributed more. But to remain a vibrant institution of higher learning and continue to offer the level of education and training that advances the lives of students and communities, the college must secure additional financial resources and improve its aging facilities. RCC has the vision and a well-crafted plan capable of moving the college forward, even in tight economic conditions. The RCC Strategic Plan identifies priorities on which the institution works to improve and expand student experiences. In 2008, 68 community members participated in a consultant-led Feasibility Study. This study showed tremendous support for the college and confirmed that the community is ready to help the college in its first-ever major gifts campaign. Both the college s Strategic Plan, and 2008 Feasibility Study, focus on positive, exciting goals for the institution which have strong community support. The RCC Educational Foundation, Inc. (RCC EFI) exists to raise awareness and funds to assist the college in achieving its mission. The RCC EFI board members have actively promoted the college, worked to double the foundation s assets since 2005, and have supported college projects in this shared vision. Community input has helped focus the college vision on projects that will accomplish the following: create more financial assistance to help a greater number of deserving students who might not otherwise attend college to get the education they need to improve their lives and their community; renovate and expand facilities to provide the stateof-the-art educational environment that prepares students fully for the academic challenges that await them as they pursue higher degrees and the requirements of today s workplace; increase the college s service to regional healthcare employers; expand and sustain teacher education so that the public school systems can train, retrain, and retain teachers who are committed to public education.

6 A successful campaign benefits us all RCC will continue to increase the number of students who choose RCC first for their college education, who earn career certificates and licensures, who earn associate degrees, who earn transfer degrees in order to attend a four-year college or university, and who earn bachelors and graduate degrees on-site at RCC through its valued university partnerships. As a college, RCC will expand educational offerings in a more aspirational learning atmosphere, given the improvements supported by a major gifts campaign. RCC will thrive as a center for lifelong learning, activism, and culture for its Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula communities. In addition, the college will help the region strengthen its employment base, economic vitality, and quality of life. Everyone in the community wins when we support our local college! Soaring Together to support RCC is a privilege How can we bring the force of our collective good will together to benefit the college and community? Fortunately, the RCC EFI board and key community members have designed the Soaring Together Campaign strategy. This strategy identifies pressing priorities and outlines a major gifts campaign to support those priorities. The goal assigned to each need is reasonable and reachable. The time to seek support from loyal and generous supporters to help the college realize each identified goal is now. College and community leaders will intelligently apply sufficient private support to all identified and sharply focused needs. With this support, faculty, staff, and students at Rappahannock Community College will achieve even greater things. On January 2010, Rappahannock Community College celebrates its 40th anniversary. The community will want to reflect on accomplishments of college graduates, faculty, and staff members over this period. At the same time, the college and the community will celebrate a new commitment to upgrade facilities, programs, and services, all made possible by the Soaring Together major gifts campaign. Targeted projects will help us upgrade science labs, serve more students, and bolster the region s professional workforce.

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8 Featured Campaign Initiatives College and community stakeholders have identified five critical projects that will help Rappahannock Community College meet regional needs and stay competitive. General Endowed Scholarship Fund. $3,000,000 The RCC Educational Foundation has no general endowed scholarship fund to provide need-based tuition assistance. Current student unmet need of more than $150,000 exists each academic year. Additional scholarships will help students go to college who might not otherwise attend, many of whom remain in this area as productive citizens. Expanded Allied Health and Science Wings on Both Campuses. $2,000,000 The science wings on the Warsaw and Glenns campuses have not been renovated in 39 years. The labs and classrooms are barely adequate, especially given the college s all-time-high, and still growing enrollment. Recent state funding for instructional renovations did not include additional classroom and lab space. Private capital will provide additional, modern labs for a greater variety and number of science classes. Endowed Nursing Faculty Position. $750,000 While the college added Emergency Medical Services programming in 2007, and doubled the admitted classes for both practical and associate degree nursing, the need for certified healthcare workers remains great. An endowed faculty position in nursing will enable the college to train more nurses for the community. Endowed Teacher Education Faculty Position. $750,000 RCC s well-established commitment to teacher development includes the Teachers for Tomorrow and Career Switchers programs, as well as professional development and re-certification opportunities. Yet much more can be done to help area school systems and their teachers. An endowed teacher education faculty position will enable the college to educate more local teachers, host activities to retain non-native teachers, and offer more re-certification credits. Educational Excellence Fund. $500,000 Recent findings by the community Feasibility Study confirm the need for a discretionary fund to support training and education exigencies that arise in the community. Examples abound. For instance, to help alleviate nursing shortages, RCC doubled the size of each nursing class. New advanced science and mathematics classes better meet the needs of transfer and engineering students. When the H. Warshow & Sons plant in Tappahannock closed, RCC acted quickly to re-train displaced workers. An educational excellence fund will provide the startup money such initiatives require. This added help is imperative, given decreasing state funding. Rappahannock Community College s devoted faculty, counselors, and staff members have helped the college grow to historic enrollment levels. Most importantly, they support student learning and personal growth with their expertise and passion. Teaching is what we do at RCC. Ninety-six percent of this committed group has also given to the RCC Educational Foundation and Soaring Together campaign over the past four years.

9 We encourage you to become involved It is wonderful that individuals in our community can have this constructive preparatory experience at Rappahannock Community College. Students get individual support, mature socially and intellectually, and become accustomed to academic rigor before using the Guaranteed Admission Agreements to transfer to many fine four-year colleges. - Dexter Rumsey Community members are coming together to urge you to consider what the college means to us all. The following campaign leaders have already committed their support. Martin and Barbara Bowling C. Flippo Hicks Catesby B. Jones Douglas D. Monroe, Jr. The Honorable W. Tayloe Murphy and Helen Turner Murphy Julien G. Patterson Dexter C. Rumsey III Richard and Janet Steelman David R. Suyes, Jr. and Marie M. Suyes Giving is easy Gifts may be made outright, pledged to be fulfilled over a period of up to five years, or designated through planned giving. Donors may specify which initiatives they wish to support, and by which means: Cash Stock Real Estate Personal Property Bequest Charitable Annuities Charitable Remainder Trusts Life Insurance Retirement Plans IRA Rollovers To discuss giving opportunities, please contact: Victor Clough Dean of College Advancement P.O. Box 923 Warsaw, VA (804) vclough@rappahannock.edu

10 Rappahannock Community College Educational Foundation, Inc. 52 Campus Drive P.O. Box 923 Warsaw, Virginia Rappahannock Community College