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STRAYER CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING
Private College Now Serving Putnam County
By Mark Hallburn
Publisher
PutnamLIVE.com

As Putnam County continues to grow, the need for a university campus                              also continues to grow.                                In the past 10 years,                           Marshall University,                                  which has 1,500                                     Putnam County                                    students has turned                                  down two offers of free                                  10-acre lots to build a                              satellite campus. In                                addition, the Putnam                              County Development                                 Authority failed to                                    keep its promise to                                      build a Marshall                                      satellite campus.

In addition, West                                  Virginia State University, West Virginia University, and the University of Charleston have failed to fill the void for higher education in Putnam County.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While Marshall and Mountain State University have rented classroom space in offices, Hurricane's City Hall, and at Hurricane High School, all of those efforts have lacked the cohesiveness of a college campus with computer labs, library facilities, counselors, and other support needed for the post-secondary student.

Meanwhile, Putnam County college students have been forced to move away or commute, a hardship in itself, and local employers have had to do without a strong college student workforce that is vital to building many businesses.

Until now.

Strayer University, a private, post-secondary institution, with 67 campuses in 15 states, has stepped up to the plate and moved into Putnam County to fill the void and make a positive contribution to the community.

To celebrate the opening of its first campus in West Virginia, Strayer  hosted a luncheon at its Teays Valley Campus June 17th that included an address by West Virginia First Lady Gayle C. Manchin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"West Virginia has an unmet need for higher education for working adults," says Dr. Sondra F. Stallard, President of Strayer University, and a West Virginia native. "Our campus in Teays Valley is designed to serve students from across Kanawha and Putnam counties, as well as commuters along the Interstate 64 corridor between Charleston and Huntington."

And, as a West Virginia native, Stallard knows the needs of The Mountain State first-hand.

"As a West Virginian myself, I am very excited about the opportunity for Strayer University to contribute to the economic development of this region," Stallard says. "We want to meet the personal education needs and desires of the students that we serve."

You'll find Strayer conveniently located in Gary Young's Corporate Centre, next to International Coal Group beside I-64.

Young's G & G Construction, Putnam County's premier school builder constructed Strayer's complex, which has 10 classrooms, a computer lab, officers for counselors, a lunch area, and offices for administrators.

"We're proud to be the company that Strayer trusted with its newest campus," says Young. "Bringing a university to Putnam County is a major step for progress and our community."

There is land available across the parking lot for Strayer to grow, should the university need more class space, there is acreage available across the parking lot from its new building. And daytime classes could also be expanded into the nearby Teays Cinemas.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, less than 20 percent of adults in Putnam County have a college education; statewide the figure is only 14 percent of adults with a degree.

Manchin, who has served as First Lady of West Virginia since the election of Gov. Joe Manchin, III, in 2004, was a keynote speaker during Strayer’s luncheon, addressing the importance of higher education in an evolving economy.

“As a former educator, I know firsthand the important role that higher education plays in preparing our citizens to meet the challenges of the 21st century,” says Manchin. "For working adults, the issue of access is a critical factor in whether or not they complete post-secondary degree programs. On behalf of the Governor, I welcome Strayer University to West Virginia and applaud the University for increasing higher education opportunities for our state’s citizens."

Other speakers at the University’s grand opening luncheon included Mary Elisabeth Eckerson, district director for U.S. Congressmen Shelley Moore Capito, (R-2nd District).

Some might see Strayer as a competitor to Marshall or WVU. However, the Teays Valley Campus Dean Dr. Richard Bucher tells PutnamLIVE.com that "There is room for all of us. It's about education."

Strayer University’s Teays Valley Campus  began classes with the summer term on April 13th.

Strayer University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and has been in operation since 1892. The University offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business administration, accounting, information technology, education and public administration. There are more than 46,000 students taking courses through Strayer University.

In addition to its brick-and-mortar campuses, Strayer University offers courses worldwide via the Internet.

For more information, please visit www.Strayer.edu or telephone 888-4-STRAYER (888-478-7293).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sondra F.
Stallard, Ph. D.