Here’s a roundup of education briefs. Want more education news? There’s no full-time education reporter west of Richmond covering education. You can help fix that. Help us fund this position.
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Liberty sends third team to Florida to help with Ian clean-up
Liberty Universy’s disaster relief initiative LU Serve Now is sending a group of 15 students and two leaders to Englewood, Fla., on Jan. 8-14 to help those affected by Hurricane Ian.
LU Serve Now, in coordination with longtime partner Samaritan’s Purse, will return to Englewood for the third time since Hurricane Ian rocked the Southeast on Sept. 28, resulting in the deaths of more than 100 people.
Two teams were dispatched to Englewood on separate weeks in November, and like those trips, the upcoming one will include a large amount of cleaning up debris. Once the debris is removed, the residents will be able to start rebuilding their neighborhood, Liberty said in a statement.
The trip will take place over the last week of Liberty’s Christmas Break before classes begin on Jan. 16.
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Radford names new vice president for finance and administration
Radford University has named a new vice president for finance and administration. Robert Hoover most recently served as the senior associate dean for administration and chief financial officer at the University of Virginia, McIntire School of Commerce, and previously was associate dean for finance and administration at Emory University, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing in Atlanta. He will start at Radford March 1.
Hoover earned an executive doctorate in higher education management at the University of Georgia in Athens. He received an M.B.A. and B.S. in business administration at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He has served the University of Virginia as part of its Finance Strategic Transformation Leadership Council, the University Financial Model (UFM) 2.0 Review Committee, and the Organizational Excellence Leadership Council.
“Over the last eight years, Robert’s strategic approach at McIntire has helped the school enhance its operational effectiveness,” said Radford president Bret Danilowicz in a statement. “Stemming from his record of creativity and a team-based approach to leadership, he will be extremely valuable to the university as we work toward our strategic goals at both the main campus and Radford University Carilion.”
Hoover will take over for Stephanie Jennelle, interim vice president of finance and administration, who has served in this capacity since March 10, 2022.
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Danville Community College adds virtual mental health support for students
Danville Community College has partnered with TimelyMD, a virtual health and well-being solution in higher education, to offer students free access to mental health support.
TimelyCare serves as a 24/7 virtual extension of campus counseling center resources, with a goal of improving student well-being, engagement, and retention.
Through TimelyCare on their phone or other device, DCC students can now select from a menu of virtual care options from licensed counselors – at no cost and without the hassle of traditional insurance – including:
● On-demand mental health and emotional support
● Appointment-based mental health counseling
● Basic Needs assistance
Sixty percent of all students who have sought mental health support through TimelyCare said they would have done nothing if the service were not available, according to a statement from Danville Community College.
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Machine Technology night classes at NRCC offered Spring 2023
New River Community College will be offering a group of evening machine technology courses in the spring 2023 semester.
Courses include MAC 106 – Machine Shop Operations, MAC 107 – Technology of Machining, MAC 215 – Machining Techniques, and MAC 217 – Precision Machining Techniques. All four courses are eight credit hours each.
The class will meet on Monday-Thursday nights from 6:15 p.m. to 10 p.m. in person on NRCC’s Dublin campus, with the first day of class on Monday, January 23. NRCC faculty member Warren Crandall will be teaching the 14-week courses.
Current NRCC students may register for classes online by visiting their student accounts. New students or those who may need additional support to register can reach out to an advisor by emailing advising@nr.edu or calling (540) 674-3609.
Prospective NRCC students may visit www.nr.edu/registernow for enrollment information. The class schedule is available at www.nr.edu/schedule.