Virginia College

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Virginia College
Established 1983
Type For-profit
Owner Educational Corporation of America
Students approx. 5,000
Location Birmingham (Main Campus), Alabama, USA
Website www.vc.edu

Virginia College is a chain of private for-profit, nationally accredited, post-secondary institutions located primarily in the southeastern United States. As a proprietary institution, Virginia College offers classes, certificates, diplomas, and degrees related to specific professions, such as health and medical, information technology, business, office management, and criminal justice. Virginia College also offers online degree programs.[1]

History

The original Virginia College campus was founded in 1983 in Roanoke, Virginia. In 1989, the college was purchased by Education Futures, Inc. In February 1992, Virginia College opened its first branch campus in the Birmingham, Alabama suburb of Homewood. Another branch campus was opened in April 1993 in Huntsville, Alabama. Several more branches have opened since as the school has expanded.[1]

The current Virginia College has no relationship with the original Virginia College in Roanoke established in 1983.[2][3]

Ownership

The company that owns and operates the schools, Education Corporation of America, is a privately held corporation headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. ECA also owns Virginia College Online, which offers distance education academic programs via the Internet; Golf Academy of America; Culinard, the Culinary Institute of Virginia College, offering degrees in the culinary arts; and Ecotech Institute, offering degrees in fields of renewable energy, sustainable design, and energy efficiency.[4]

Locations

Brick and mortar Virginia College campus locations:

Culinard campus and teaching kitchen locations:

Golf Academy of America campuses locations:

Curriculum

Virginia College offers courses in health care, cosmetology, criminal justice, paralegal, and network engineering. (Network engineering courses are not ABET-accredited.) Virginia College Online offers online classes and degrees.

Accreditation

Virginia College programs are accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools.[citation needed]

Criticism

In 2012, Virginia College was sued by the Mississippi Center for Justice on behalf of seven students. The lawsuit claims that Virginia College misled students about the value of their degrees, and that it specifically targeted misleading advertising to women and minority students.[31]

The case was remanded to arbitration.

See also

References

External links