Ranken Partners With CVCC to Offer BSAM Program

 
 
Ranken Technical College, in partnership with Central Virginia Community College (CVCC) and The Babock & Wilcox Company (B&W) recently announced that together they will provide a Bachelor of Science degree program for Virginia’s Region 2000 (an interwoven network of organizations within the 2,000 square miles that surround Lynchburg, Va.)

The idea of a partnership was first developed when B&W approached CVCC about the need for a local bachelor’s degree program based on technical studies.

"There are very few four-year colleges that accept credit for technical education," said Stan Shoun, Ranken’s president. "There was a void there for technicians to be able to further their education and move into supervisory roles. We wanted to help fill that void."

Students can now build on their technical aptitude and existing college and/or work experience by pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Applied Management (BSAM) through Ranken. The BSAM program’s curriculum, which was developed with input from B&W includes project management, global business strategy, risk management, marketing, employment law and small business management. Courses will mainly be taught online but Ranken will also be sending instructors to Virginia to teach some of the courses.

"This is truly a 2+2 program* designed for business and industry employees," said Shoun. "Students may be awarded college credit toward the BSAM degree for industrial training and certificates, apprenticeship programs and other job-based learning."

By partnering with Ranken to offer bachelor’s-level courses online, CVCC is able to offer students an accessible degree that has been expressly designed to meet the needs of Region 2000 employers.

"We are very pleased to be partnering with CVCC and Ranken to help develop future leaders for our company and our fellow Region 2000 businesses," said Peyton S. Baker, President of Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Operations Group, Inc. "Education and an overall learning culture is an important part of B&W’s ability to stay competitive in the current and future marketplace. B&W has an abundance of highly skilled technical employees who are part of our Lynchburg-area operations, and the 2+2 Program will offer those interested in earning a Bachelor of Science in Applied Management a quality education that features a flexible class schedule and is relevant to B&W’s business."

To kick off the program, Shoun and John Wood, Ranken’s vice president for student success will be making a trip to Virginia to participate in an informational session on August 11. Classes are set to begin on August 22. This semester two classes will be offered, each being an eight-week session. Students have the opportunity to earn up to six credit hours per semester.

Per George Sherman, director of workforce development at CVCC, they are expecting about 15 to 20 students to enroll in the program this fall, the majority of them B&W employees, though numbers are not yet finalized.

"We are really excited about this new partnership and see great potential for expansion," continued Shoun. "We are doing what we do best; providing superior education in the technical arena; now we are doing it from three states away." 

*Refers to "years of study" in a program. Used primarily by community colleges when describing a transfer program in which the first two years are completed at the community college (usually an associate degree) and the individual then transfers to a four- year college to finish the program (usually a bachelors degree).