Patrick & Henry Community College (P&HCC) is one of 23 community colleges in Virginia. P&HCC was founded in 1962 as a two-year branch of the University of Virginia’s School of General Studies and became an autonomous two-year college of the university two years later. The college enrolled its first students in the old Northside Elementary School in Martinsville and moved to its present campus in the fall of 1969 with the completion of the administration building. The Learning Resource Center was completed in the spring of 1971, and the college became part of the Virginia Community College System on July 1, 1971.
As a community college, P&HCC has continued to grow. New programs have been added and programs have expanded. William F. Stone Hall, the health, physical education, and wellness center, was completed in the spring of 1974 and dedicated to the memory of the late Senator William F. Stone. A division offering occupational and technical programs and courses was established in 1976. In the spring of 1985, A. L. Philpott Hall was completed in order to better serve growing programs to train a competent workforce. An addition to A.L. Philpott Hall was completed in the fall of 1995. The Walker Fine Arts/Student Center was completed in 1990 and dedicated to the memory of Robert Lee Walker and Samuel Stanhope Walker. In 1999, the administration building was named Francis T. West Hall, and the J. Burness Frith Economic Development Center was completed and dedicated to the memory of the late J. Burness Frith. In 2017, P&HCC renovated one of their existing off-campus sites to become the Manufacturing and Engineering Technology Complex. The Complex provides P&HCC’s many applied and technical education programs a modern facility where they will have room to grow.
In order to improve accessibility to college classes, P&HCC also offers classes at the IDEA Center in Uptown Martinsville, the Manufacturing and Engineering Technology Complex off of King’s Mountain Road, and in Patrick County at The Gerald L. Baliles and Richard S. Reynolds, Sr. Learning Center and P&HCC Patrick County Site. Students can also take courses through distance education.
By responding rapidly and effectively to meet community needs and through continuous growth, P&HCC seeks to fulfill the purposes assigned to it by the 1966 General Assembly that established the Virginia Community College System.
Accreditation and Recognition
Patrick & Henry Community College is a member of the Virginia Community College System and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award career studies certificates, certificates, and associate degrees. Questions about the accreditation of Patrick & Henry Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
As a member of the Virginia Community College System, Patrick & Henry Community College is approved by the State Board for Community Colleges; the associate degree curricula offered in the college have also been approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. The college is a member of the American Association of Community Colleges and is an Achieving the Dream Leader College. The associate degree nursing program has conditional approval with terms and conditions per the Virginia State Board of Nursing. The Practical Nursing Certificate program and the Nurse Aide Training program have full approval granted by the Virginia State Board of Nursing. The associate degree nursing program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, the most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the associate degree program is continuing accreditation. The EMS-Paramedic Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Patrick & Henry Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).
Mission
P&HCC is committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion and to enriching the quality of life in our service region through academic excellence, educational affordability, student success, workforce development, and community engagement.
Vision
P&HCC will be the educational catalyst that provides access to economic prosperity for our diverse community.
Core Values
P&HCC values excellence, innovation, diversity, inclusion, and continuous improvement. We demonstrate these values in the following ways:
Teaching and Learning. As teaching and learning are paramount at P&HCC, we employ innovative faculty who utilize high-impact practices and state-of-the-art equipment in educating our students.
Integrity and Respect. To promote a culture of integrity, equity, and respect, we develop, nurture, and sustain an engaged, diverse, and talented workforce.
Communication and Collaboration. Through effective communication, we foster relationships and build partnerships that enhance the success and quality of life for our constituents.
Types of Programs Offered
In order to fulfill the mission and vision, the college offers a program of instruction in:
Occupational/Technical Education. The occupational and technical programs are designed to meet the increasing demand for technicians, semi-professional workers and skilled craftsmen for employment in industry, business, the professions, and government. The curricula are planned primarily to provide workers for the region served by the college.
College Transfer Education. College transfer programs include college freshman and sophomore courses in the arts and sciences and in pre-professional education designed to meet standards acceptable for transfer to baccalaureate degree programs in four-year colleges and universities.
Developmental Education. A developmental education program is offered to prepare individuals for admission to an applied science and engineering technology curriculum or to a college transfer curriculum. The program is designed to assist the individual with the development of the basic skills and understandings necessary to succeed in other college programs.
Specialized Community Services. The facilities and personnel of the college are available for specialized services to meet the cultural and educational needs of the region. These services include special programs, cultural events, workshops, meetings, lectures, conferences, seminars and community projects designed to provide a variety of cultural and educational opportunities.
General Education. General education encompasses the common knowledge, skills, and attitudes required by each individual to be more effective as a person, a worker, a consumer and a citizen. VCCS degree graduates will demonstrate competency in the following general education areas:
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is the ability to use information, ideas, and arguments from relevant perspectives to make sense of complex issues and solve problems. This may include identifying relevant and irrelevant information utilizing adaptive questioning and flexible thought processes to make new connections and enhance self-awareness to facilitate changes. Degree graduates will locate, evaluate, interpret, and combine information, to reach well-reasoned conclusions or solutions.
Critical Thinking Outcomes
- Locate information utilizing a variety of resources (to include electronic or online means)
- Evaluate information to determine whether it is credible or not
- Interpret information as a means of supporting a logical argument
- Synthesize all information to reach a well-reasoned conclusion or solution
Written Communication
Written Communication is the development and expression of ideas in writing, involving many genres, styles, and audiences. Degree graduates will be able to express themselves effectively in a variety of written forms including write to a specific content, purpose, and audience. The student will use relevant and compelling content to convey an understanding of the subject, to clearly identify the purpose, and to deliver to a specific audience.
Written Communication Outcomes
- Write to a specific structure: the student will organize and support the main idea in a logical, well-developed arrangement necessary for the intended genre
- Write to a specific style: the student will use graceful, skillful language with clarity and fluency to deliver writing that is virtually free of grammatical errors
- Write to offer evidence and support: the student will demonstrate skillful use of high-quality, credible sources that are relevant and appropriate to the purpose
- Write for publication: the student will write with the intention of sharing with an intended audience in real-world settings, such as the classroom, clinical site, or workplace
Quantitative Literacy
Quantitative Literacy is the ability to perform accurate calculations, interpret quantitative information, apply and analyze relevant numerical data, and use results to support conclusions. Degree graduates will be able to calculate, interpret, and use numerical and quantitative information in a variety of settings.
Quantitative Literacy Outcomes
- Identify valid and reliable information (to include electronic or online means)
- Calculate by accurately solving mathematical problems
- Interpret mathematical representations by accurately explaining its relevance in context
- Represent information as mathematical forms to support an argument or conclusion
Civic Engagement
Civic Engagement is the ability to contribute to the civic life and well-being of local, national, and global communities as both a social responsibility and a life-long learning process. Degree graduates will demonstrate the knowledge and values necessary to become informed and contributing participants in a democratic society.
Civic Engagement Outcomes
- Demonstrate civic knowledge by summarizing fundamental principles and debates about democracy and citizenship, both within the United States and in other countries
- Demonstrate civic identity by reflecting on personal social/civic identity and how that identity differs from others in their communities (to include diverse feelings, perspectives, and life experiences)
- Demonstrate civic discourse by deliberating on issues and problems to advance or achieve a civic aim through lenses such as ethical implications, civic actions, or social challenges at the local, national, or global levels
- Demonstrate social justice by identifying personal and collective actions that could be taken to address injustices in society
Scientific Literacy
Scientific Literacy is the ability to apply the scientific method and related concepts and principles to make informed decisions and engage with issues related to the natural, physical, and social world. Degree graduates will recognize and know how to apply the scientific method, and evaluate empirical information.
Scientific Literacy Outcomes
- Explain the scientific method of inquiry that leads to evidence-based knowledge
- Identify elements of research design
- Plan, design, and conduct scientific investigations in a collaborative environment
- Test hypotheses and communicate procedures and results, based on scientific evidence
Professional Readiness
Professional Readiness is the ability to work well with others and display situationally and culturally appropriate demeanor and behavior. Degree graduates will be able to demonstrate skills important for a successful transition into the workplace and/or pursuit of further education by way of professionalism and self-management practices and behaviors.
Professional Readiness Outcomes
- Demonstrate commitment to the company or team
- Demonstrate ethical behavior and respond to unethical behavior
- Adapt to changes
- Demonstrate a positive attitude
- Demonstrate reliability
- Demonstrate professional etiquette
- Demonstrate dependability and punctuality
- Define time management practices
- Identify time management pitfalls
- Identify health maintenance skills
- Identify stress management skills
- Identify workplace stressors
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