General Information
History
Blue Ridge Community College is one of 58 institutions that operate under the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges.
The creation of Blue Ridge dates back to 1963, when the North Carolina General Assembly authorized a system of comprehensive community colleges and technical institutes in areas of the state that had a need for institutions of higher learning. A few years later, the residents of Henderson County approved a bond issue and a special tax levy to provide funds for the construction, operation, and maintenance of a school facility to serve the community. Henderson County Technical Institute opened its doors in December 1969 and the first course was offered on January 8, 1970.
The first full-time curriculum classes began the following semester on September 14, 1970. Shortly after, in October of 1970, the Board of Trustees changed the name from Henderson County Technical Institute to Blue Ridge Technical Institute. Then nine years later they renamed the school Blue Ridge Technical College. The Board of Trustees approved the current name, Blue Ridge Community College in 1987.
Mission Statement
Blue Ridge Community College empowers individuals with knowledge and skills to enrich our communities and build a competitive workforce.
Vision
Transforming lives through the power of learning.
Values
Student Success - We are committed to the success of our students by adhering to the highest levels of academic and professional standards.
Integrity - We demonstrate the ideals of honesty, fairness, and ethical behavior in all situations and circumstances.
Excellence - We are dedicated to continuous improvement and providing the highest quality teaching, training and service to our community.
Responsibility - We accept responsibility for our actions and decisions and are accountable to our students, communities, and the generations who come after us.
Adaptability - We are responsive and innovative when meeting the changing needs of our communities.
Location and Facilities
Blue Ridge Community College Henderson County Campus is located on 128 acres on College Drive, between Airport Road and South Allen Road in Flat Rock, North Carolina. The 13-building complex provides over 358,000 square feet of floor space. In addition to offices, classrooms, laboratory space, and student center areas, facilities also include a distance learning center, a 66,000-square foot Applied Technology Building, a comprehensive library, an Environmental and Safety Training Center, teaching and performance auditoriums, and a state-of-the-art Technology and Education Development Center that includes virtual training, television and audio recording studios, and a 1,000-seat conference hall. The College’s health care programs are housed in the Health Sciences Center, located in downtown Hendersonville adjacent to Pardee UNC Healthcare.
The Transylvania County Campus is located on nine acres on the corner of Oak Park Drive and Osborne Road in Brevard, North Carolina. The two-building complex houses instructional and office space, the Applied Technology Building, and the Blue Ridge Innovation Network, a 3,500 square-foot facility for small business incubation.
Situated near the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina at an altitude of 2,140 feet, the College is easily accessible via Interstate 26, Highways 64, 25, 191, and 176. Commercial air service is provided by several major airlines that serve the Asheville Regional Airport located twelve miles north of Hendersonville. The location between the metropolitan areas of Asheville, North Carolina, and Greenville, South Carolina, place the College near the center of a rapid growth area in southwestern North Carolina. This location is also near several vacation/recreation destinations which include Flat Rock, the Pisgah National Forest, Brevard, Bat Cave-Chimney Rock, Biltmore House, and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Accreditation
Blue Ridge Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. Blue Ridge Community College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Blue Ridge Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Blue Ridge Community College is an accredited member of the North Carolina Community College System and all programs offered by the College have been approved by the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges.
The Associate Degree Nursing Program is approved by the North Carolina State Board of Nursing.
The Surgical Technology Program is approved by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), 25400 US Hwy 19 North, Suite 158, Clearwater, FL 33763; Phone: 727-210-2350;
Fax: 727-210-2354; caahep.org by the recommendation of the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA), 6 West Dry Creek Circle, Suite 110, Littleton, CO 80120; Phone: 303-694-9262; Fax: 303-741-3655; arcstsa.org.
The Early Childhood and School Age Education Programs are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
The Emergency Medical Science Program is credentialed as a North Carolina Advanced EMS Education Institution by the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services.
The Emergency Medical Science Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), 1361 Park Street, Clearwater, FL 33756; Phone: 727-210-2350; Fax: 727-210-2354; caahep.org by the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Profession; 8301 Lakeview Parkway, Suite 111-312, Rowlett Texas 75088; coaemsp.org.
The Emergency Medical Technician—Paramedic program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
The Fire Protection Program is seeking accreditation by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress.
Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation, Inc.
Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation was founded in 1974, just five years after the institution was chartered. Today Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation is a separate organization affiliated with, and serving only, Blue Ridge Community College. It is governed by a Board of Directors and qualifies as a 501(c)(3) organization under the guidelines of the Internal Revenue Service. As such, the Foundation ensures to donors the tax deductibility for charitable gifts that is provided by state and federal laws. The mission of the Foundation is to aid, strengthen, and further in every proper and useful way the work and services of Blue Ridge Community College and to provide broader educational opportunities to its students, staff, faculty, and to the residents of Henderson and Transylvania Counties. In fulfilling its mission, the Foundation provides financial assistance to students through scholarships, a work-study program, and emergency loans and grants; purchases state-of-the-art equipment for use in classrooms; sponsors faculty development through special projects; enables the College to achieve its institutional effectiveness goals; provides start-up costs for new programs; and solicits monies for other College projects. Private support through the Foundation enables Blue Ridge Community College to keep pace with the educational changes occurring in its service area and in the lives of its students, faculty, and staff, and the citizens it serves. For further information, contact
Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation, 180 West Campus Drive, Flat Rock, North Carolina 28731, 828.694.1710.
Core Indicators of Student Success
The Performance Measures for Student Success Report is the North Carolina Community College System’s major accountability document. This annual performance report is based on data compiled from the previous year and serves to inform colleges and the public on the performance of our 58 community colleges. The most current Performance Measures for Student Success Report is located on the College website.
The report is filled with comprehensive information about the development of these measures and the performance of each community college in the system