Community College Tells Students To Stay Home, Save Gas

BY TIMOTHY CAMA
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

An area community college is helping its students combat high gas prices by reducing the frequency of classes so students will commute less often.

Officials at Virginia Highlands Community College in Abingdon, Va., announced last month they had altered the fall class schedule so classes that normally would meet Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays will now meet on Mondays and Wednesdays. Fridays will be reserved for once-per-week classes.

“We started getting feedback from some students who wanted to commute less often,” said Debbie Clear, vice president of instruction and student services.

“Since we announced the change, we’ve had an extremely positive response from students,” she added.

Last fall, officials started discussing ways they could reduce students’ commutes. Since the college has no on-campus housing, all students must commute to class.
“I’ll spend a lot less money on gas,” said Paul Pratt, a nursing major from Glade Spring, Va.

He had a five-day schedule planned for the fall, but with the recent changes, he only has to make the 15- to 20-mile commute four days each week.

Pratt said he’ll use the extra time on Friday to work part time.

College officials tried to keep classes at approximately the same times as before, but since the classes had to be extended, 117 of the 400 students had class conflicts after the change. All the conflicts were resolved, said Clear.

Education major Brittany Lutzo had two schedule conflicts but resolved them. The Abingdon resident said while she lives close to VHCC, the schedule change also will save her a little money.

Teea Triplett of Damascus, Va., whose schedule also was reduced from five days to four, plans to use her free Friday to visit Rhea Valley Elementary School and gain experience toward her teaching degree.

VHCC had discussed the changes since last fall and planned to implement it for the spring 2009 semester, Clear said.

“We decided to go ahead and make the change for the fall,” she said, because gas prices were rising faster than expected. Most students had already made their fall
schedules, so college staff had to notify them of the change and send new schedules.

Though the Chronicle of Higher Education reports that colleges around the country are experimenting with shorter weeks and other ways to assist commuting students, VHCC is the only school in the area to make a change thus far.

Representatives from Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, Va.; King College in Bristol, Tenn.; Emory & Henry College in Emory, Va.; the University of Virginia’s College at Wise; East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tenn.; Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap, Va.; and Northeast State Technical Community College in Blountville, Tenn., all indicated no immediate plans are in the works to implement such scheduling changes.
Many of King College’s students live on-campus, said Sylvia Mosgrove, director of public and community relations.

But to reduce the commute for some King students, the college has established satellite locations around the region, she said.

ETSU also has locations in Bristol, Tenn., and Kingsport, Tenn., where students can take many of the classes offered at the Johnson City campus, said Ramona Williams, vice provost for enrollment services.

“ETSU also offers numerous classes online,” she added.

Students at Mountain Empire frequently “self-select,” said Sharon Fisher, a college spokeswoman, meaning they deliberately schedule classes so they may only have to attend two or three days a week.

Mountain Empire also offers online and “hybrid” classes, or classes taught online in which students come to the campus a few times throughout the semester.

TIMOTHY CAMA is an intern with the Herald Courier and can be reached at or (276) 669-2181, ext. 3385.