College Profiles

Patrick Henry Community College

Background

Patrick Henry Community College (PHCC) in Martinsville, Va., serves rural residents of three counties – Patrick, Henry and part of Franklin – in the Piedmont of south-central Virginia. The region has been hard hit economically in recent years and at one point had the highest unemployment rate (16.2 percent) in Virginia. PHCC has a total enrollment of about 3,300 students.

The college’s enrollment has swelled as unemployed workers use Trade Act benefits, which the federal government grants to workers displaced by foreign trade or production shifted to foreign countries, to obtain new job skills. One-third of the college’s first-time degree-seeking students are minorities; 80 percent test into developmental courses.

Achieving the Dream Goals

Improving students’ first-year experience is PHCC’s priority because it loses most students at the end of their first year. The college’s research team found that failing a developmental math course significantly diminishes the likelihood of a student completing a certificate or degree. Using a persistence/success model the team also found that slight increases in Grade Point Averages improve the likelihood that students will complete their educational goals. The college seeks to

• Improve success rates in developmental math courses;
• Increase overall student persistence;
• Raise the performance of students enrolled in three or more developmental courses.

To maximize students’ early academic performance, PHCC will incorporate learning-centered teaching methods in developmental courses; eventually it will do the same in gatekeeper courses. It will expand mentoring and support services. It will also use case management advising for high-risk students (those who take three or more developmental courses).