Virginia College
| Type | For-profit |
|---|---|
| Established | 1983 |
| Owner | Educational Corporation of America |
| Students | approx. 5,000 |
| Location | Birmingham (Main Campus), Alabama, United States |
| Website |
www |
Virginia College is a chain of private for-profit, nationally accredited, post-secondary institutions located primarily in the southeastern United States. As a proprietary institution, Virginia College offers classes, certificates, diplomas, and degrees related to specific professions, such as health and medical, information technology, business, office management, and criminal justice. Virginia College also offers online degree programs.[1]
History
The original Virginia College campus was founded in 1983 in Roanoke, Virginia. In 1989, the college was purchased by Education Futures, Inc. In February 1992, Virginia College opened its first branch campus in the Birmingham, Alabama suburb of Homewood. Another branch campus was opened in April 1993 in Huntsville, Alabama. Several more branches have opened since as the school has expanded.[1]
The current Virginia College has no relationship with the original Virginia College in Roanoke established in 1983.[2][3]
Ownership
The company that owns and operates the schools, Education Corporation of America, is a privately held corporation headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. ECA also owns Virginia College Online, which offers distance education academic programs via the Internet; Golf Academy of America; Culinard, the Culinary Institute of Virginia College, offering degrees in the culinary arts; and Ecotech Institute, offering degrees in fields of renewable energy, sustainable design, and energy efficiency.[4]
Locations
Brick and mortar Virginia College campus locations:
- Augusta, Georgia[5]
- Austin, Texas[6]
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana[7]
- Biloxi, Mississippi[8]
- Birmingham, Alabama[9]
- Bossier City, Louisiana[10]
- Charleston, South Carolina[11]
- Chattanooga, Tennessee[12]
- Columbia, South Carolina[13]
- Columbus, Georgia[14]
- Florence, South Carolina[15]
- Fort Pierce, Florida[16]
- Greenville, South Carolina[17]
- Huntsville, Alabama[18]
- Jackson, Mississippi[19]
- Jacksonville, Florida[20]
- Knoxville, Tennessee[21]
- Lubbock, Texas[22]
- Macon, Georgia[23]
- Mobile, Alabama[24]
- Montgomery, Alabama[25]
- Pensacola, Florida[26]
- Richmond, Virginia[27]
- Savannah, Georgia[28]
- Spartanburg, South Carolina[29]
- Tulsa, Oklahoma[30]
Culinard campus and teaching kitchen locations:
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Fort Pierce, Florida
- Mobile, Alabama
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Richmond, Virginia
- Savannah, Georgia
Golf Academy of America campuses locations:
Curriculum
Virginia College offers courses in health care, cosmetology, criminal justice, paralegal, and network engineering. (Network engineering courses are not ABET-accredited.) Virginia College Online offers online classes and degrees.
Accreditation
Virginia College programs are accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools.
Criticism
In 2012, Virginia College was sued by the Mississippi Center for Justice on behalf of seven students. The lawsuit claims that Virginia College misled students about the value of their degrees, and that it specifically targeted misleading advertising to women and minority students.[31]
The case was remanded to arbitration.
See also
References
- 1 2 College website
- ↑ http://www.roanoke.com/columnists/bradburn/wb/294025
- ↑ "Virigina College". The Independent. Jul 6, 1914. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
- ↑ Education Corporation of America
- ↑ August, Georgia Campus
- ↑ Austin, Texas Campus
- ↑ Baton Rouge, Louisiana Campus
- ↑ Biloxi, Mississippi Campus
- ↑ Birmingham, Alabama Campus
- ↑ Shreveport/Bossier City, Louisiana Campus
- ↑ Charleston, South Carolina Campus
- ↑ Chattanooga, Tennessee Campus
- ↑ Columbia, South Carolina Campus
- ↑ Columbus, Georgia Campus
- ↑ Florence, South Carolina Campus
- ↑ Fort Pierce, Campus
- ↑ Greenville, South Carolina Campus
- ↑ Huntsville, Alabama Campus
- ↑ Jackson, Mississippi Campus
- ↑ Jacksonville, Florida Campus
- ↑ Knoxville, Tennessee Campus
- ↑ http://www.vc.edu/campus/lubbock-texas-college.cfm
- ↑ Macon, Georgia Campus
- ↑ Mobile, Alabama Campus
- ↑ Montgomery, Alabama Campus
- ↑ Pensacola, Florida Campus
- ↑ Richmond, Virginia Campus
- ↑ Savannah, Georgia Campus
- ↑ Spartanburg, South Carolina Campus
- ↑ Tulsa, Oklahoma Campus
- ↑ "For-Profit College Is Accused of Bias Against Female and Minority Students". The Chronicle of Higher Education.