Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, August 30, 1994 TAG: 9408300085
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By ALLISON BLAKE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The college, first proposed six years ago, is expected to marry high tech and cultural literacy to produce students who can get jobs in a global economy. State legislators have backed the idea, saying it will prepare students for the 21st-century work force.
``Some have said the New College of Global Studies is ahead of its time,'' said Bernard Wampler, rector of Radford's Board of Visitors.
``I say it's just in a nick of time.''
Hopes are high that the college will teach members of Virginia's work force to move more easily through international circles, said Robert Skunda, state secretary of commerce and trade.
``You'd be amazed the difficulty'' that faces businesses trying to cross cultural and language barriers, as well as legal and contractual issues, Skunda said after the groundbreaking.
The ceremony was held in the gravel parking lot that will be transformed into the first building, funded with a $5 million piece of the statewide bond referendum passed two years ago.
When completed, the building will rival any of the high-tech ``virtual libraries'' now being developed, said the project architect.
``This is very unusual in an academic building,'' said James Glave, of Glave Newman Anderson, a Richmond-based architecture firm.
The 32,000-square-foot building will have only one traditional classroom. The rest of the building will be carved into study spaces and offices, and wired with fiber-optic cable. Round-the-clock video news will be available, and courses will be taught through computer and video communications.
``The graduates of the college are going to come out with far greater degree of awareness to help Virginia business,'' Skunda said.
Meantime, Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, already has his eye on the college as a potential source of courses for his initiative that will bring a network of tele-courses throughout Southwest Virginia.
The pilot class of 50 for the new college will begin next fall. Provost Meredith Strohm has just hired six founding faculty members, who, with Radford associate professors, will complete a curriculum.
While many plans for the college have already been made, they have their work cut out for them. After all, as Radford's acting President Charles Owens pointed out:
"The 21st century is only six years away."
by CNB