Victoria College awarded a record-breaking 1,244 scholarships, totaling $923,227 in private aid, in the 2017-2018 school year.
“Finances should never be a barrier” to education, said Jennifer Yancey, vice president of college advancement and external affairs.
Jennifer Yancey
More than 120 business representatives listened to an update on Victoria College from its officials at the Victoria Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon Wednesday at the Victoria College Emerging Technology Complex.
College president David Hinds welcomed the attendees, while college officials provided the update.
Desirae Gutierrez, the business development manager at Servpro, said the presentation was informative and she is excited about the new initiatives the college is rolling out.
“I liked the focus on scholarships,” Gutierrez said. “That will help the community, children and adults, get more involved in college and help further their education.”
Edrel Stoneham, dean of student services, shared information about new initiatives in his department.
One new initiative is a platform by EAB, a best practices firm, called Navigate. The platform provides students a walk-through of the admission process and advising functions, Stoneham said. The application is expected to increase retention and graduation rates.
The second new initiative is the Victoria College/University of Houston-Victoria Advising Council that was developed to create an ease of transfer for students between the college and UHV, which is the college’s top transfer partner, he said.
Vice President of Instruction Cindy Buchholz said the 9,000 students included in the annual enrollment for the 2017-2018 year include students working for college credits, as well as those in the workforce and allied health continuing education program and the adult basic education program.
The college is adding an emergency medical technician course at the Gonzales Center and will offer classes in Port Lavaca with the Calhoun school district, Buchholz said.
The updates are important for the college to provide, said Patricia Rehak, executive director of the Victoria College.
“I think it’s really important that the community understands the focus on student success and students reaching their goals,” Rehak said. “The message was very clear –Victoria College is doing whatever we need to do to help our students reach their goals whether it be for leisure, learning or career advancement.”
