Section 3: Comprehensive Standards
3.4.2 The institution's continuing education, outreach, and service programs are consistent with the institution's mission.
Judgment of Compliance:
Compliance
Narrative/Justification for Judgment of Compliance:
Christopher Newport University is in compliance with this standard. Education, outreach and service programs are designed to complement the mission of the university and expand the students' knowledge and experience. Service programs afford opportunities to invest energies in various areas of interest. Outreach programs also enhance the school's relationship with constituencies beyond the campus. To be approved, each proposed program must document a link or links to the university mission.
Lifelong Learners Society
The Lifelong Learners Society (LLS) provides educational opportunities to persons of retirement age. The LLS shares its programs with the community by participating in joint learning efforts with other educational and research institutions, retirement groups, industries and museums. LLS programs support CNU's mission to provide educational opportunities to “the residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia” and to shape the economic, civic, and cultural life of the community. Course offerings include intermediate and advanced Spanish, internet and email, aerobics, poetry, music, politics, world affairs, writing and art. A complete list and schedule are available on the University's website. The Society co-sponsors the Annual Community Forum on Aging and the Annual Writer's Conference & Writing Contest. LLS also partners with the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, CNU Horticulture Program and CNU Grounds Department to sponsor an Annual Gardening Symposium.
CNU Rescue
CNU Rescue, a cooperative project of faculty, students and community organizations facilitated by United Campus Ministries, provides service-learning opportunities for students, in keeping with CNU's mission to encourage service within the community. Sixty community organizations participate in the program, and since fall of 1999 more than 1,000 students have performed 22,000 hours of service. Students participate in service-learning at local elementary schools, Boys & Girls clubs, and other child/youth services agencies; emergency and assistance centers such as American Red Cross, Foodbank, area shelters; family support services such as social services departments and the YMCA; health care services at the American Cancer Society, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Peninsula Association for Sickle Cell Anemia, area hospitals and clinics. Other agencies include Refugee and Immigration Services, area parks and recreation centers, retirement communities and centers, Juvenile Services, centers for the physically and/or developmentally challenged, substance abuse, ministries, as well as area museums, foundations, and historic sites.
The Virginia Electronic Commerce Technology Center (VECTEC)
The Virginia Electronic Commerce Technology Center's mission is to promote entrepreneurial activity through the implementation of electronic commerce by providing educational, technical assistance and consulting services to Virginia's small businesses and local governments. Thus, VECTEC supports CNU's purpose to offer service that “shapes the economic and civic life of the community and the Commonwealth.”
VECTEC is providing e-commerce solutions to Norfolk, Hampton, Newport News, Suffolk and Gloucester businesses through each city's economic development office. The e-commerce business assistance grant program gives businesses within these localities access to website design and development, online shopping systems, and search engine optimization services at a reduced cost.
More than 80 small-to-medium size businesses participate in VECTEC's E-Business Villages (EBVs), an informal association of businesses that share an interest in promoting economic progress of their region through the use of e-commerce techniques and technologies. Over the past ten years, VECTEC business villages have helped to create $49.3 million in increased revenues and/or cost savings for participating companies, 1,200 new or retained jobs, six new companies and more than 50 "graduates" from the program, as documented through a third-party client survey commissioned by Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology.
VECTEC also provides e-government IT strategic planning support and consulting/technical support to rural governments on the Eastern Shore and Southwest Virginia, as well as to local governments in York County, the City of Williamsburg, Isle of Wight County, the Town of Smithfield and Gloucester County. Through Verizon and CIT, VECTEC works with local governments in the Northern Neck to increase interest in e-commerce by small businesses within the region.
VECTEC also partners with University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, George Mason, Old Dominion University and Virginia Commonwealth University to pool expertise in Internet technologies and make them available to Virginia businesses through the Internet Technology Innovation Center.
Finally, VECTEC supports presentations on cutting edge e-commerce topics throughout Virginia in its electronic commerce forums. Eighty businesses attend the Hampton Roads forum on a regular basis. The great success of the Southeastern Virginia EC Forum has led to forums being established in Danville, the Eastern Shore, Northern Neck, Roanoke and Southwest Virginia. Business and government personnel enroll in VECTEC training and education programs through VECTEC's Short Course Program comprising classes in e-marketing, customer service, web design and search engine marketing.
Support Documentation:
Lifelong Learning Society Brochure
VECTEC
Additional Live Web Resources:
Lifelong Learning: http://lifelonglearning.cnu.edu/
VECTEC: http://www.vectec.org/