Richard Bland College facts for kids
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| Motto | The Junior College of the Commonwealth of Virginia |
|---|---|
| Type | Public junior college |
| Established | 1960 |
| Accreditation | SACS |
| Budget | $25,091,121 (2023) |
| President | Debbie L. Sydow |
| Provost | Maria Dezenberg |
| Rector | John E. Littel |
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Academic staff
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36 |
| Students | 2,528 |
| Location |
,
,
United States
37°9′26.5″N 77°23′54.1″W / 37.157361°N 77.398361°W |
| Campus | Rural |
| Colors | Green White |
| Nickname | Statesmen |
| Affiliations | College of William and Mary |
| Mascot | Statesman Eagle |
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Richard Bland College (RBC) is a public two-year college. It is connected to the College of William & Mary. RBC is located in Prince George County, Virginia. The Virginia General Assembly, which is Virginia's law-making body, started Richard Bland College in 1960. It was created as a branch of the College of William and Mary.
RBC was part of a system called "the Colleges of William and Mary." This system lasted only two years. Other colleges in this system, like Christopher Newport University, later became independent universities. However, Richard Bland College has stayed a two-year college of William and Mary. Even though it has its own leaders, William and Mary's Board of Visitors oversees it. The college is named after Richard Bland, an important Virginia leader who lived in the area where the campus is now.
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History of Richard Bland College
Richard Bland College of William and Mary was started in 1960. The Virginia General Assembly created it as a place for higher education. It was part of "The Colleges of William & Mary" system, which did not last long. The college's main goal has always been to offer college education. It helps students who live far from the main William and Mary campus in Williamsburg, Virginia.
The Board of Visitors of The College of William and Mary watches over Richard Bland College. The Governor of Virginia chooses the members of this board. A president, chosen by the Board, leads the college's daily activities and classes. The college is named after Richard Bland, a famous Virginia leader. He fought for people's rights. Richard Bland studied at The College of William and Mary. He represented the area where the college is now. He served in the House of Burgesses and the House of Delegates.
Richard Bland was known for defending Virginia's rights. He played a big part in the colonies' fight against unfair taxes. He wrote a book called An Inquiry into the Rights of the British Colonies. This book was one of the first to explain why the colonies opposed taxes. Bland also served in the Continental Congress. He was seen as a great political leader and historian of Virginia.
The land where Richard Bland College is now has a rich history. Before the American Civil War, it was a plantation owned by the Gurley family. During the war, Union soldiers took over the area. Two battles happened on the campus land: the Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road and the Battle of Globe Tavern. These battles were fought to cut off supplies to Petersburg, Virginia. Around that time, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th U.S. President, stayed at a nearby tavern. Its remains are still on the campus today.
In the early 1900s, the Hatcher-Seward family started a dairy farm on the land. They planted many pecan trees, which are now a famous part of the college's look. The land was later used as a work camp during World War I. In 1932, the state of Virginia bought the land. It became the Petersburg Training School and Hospital for African-American Youth. Over the years, the school changed names several times. It finally became the Southside Virginia Training Center for the Mentally Retarded before closing in 1959.
Retired Colonel James M. Carson helped turn the old hospital into Richard Bland College. Classes began in 1961. The campus grew in the late 1960s. New buildings like Ernst Hall, a Student Center/Library, and a gym were added. Colonel Carson was the first President until 1973. Dr. Cornelis Laban then served as Acting President. Dr. Clarence Maze became President after that. He helped add more classes and encouraged students to learn about other countries.
In 1996, Dr. James B. McNeer became the third President. He helped change the college to better serve Virginia. Today, Richard Bland College is on a rural campus that is 750 acres. It was once the Gurley family's dairy farm. The campus has old pecan trees, two old farmhouses, and a barn that is now a theater. There is also a unique koi pond.
In 2008, the college added student housing. This made it the only two-year college in Virginia with dorms. More than 18,000 people around the world have graduated from Richard Bland College. The college also helps the economy of Petersburg, Virginia, and nearby areas.
In 2012, Dr. Debbie L. Sydow became the fourth President. She was the first woman to lead the college. Before this, she was President of Onondaga Community College in New York.
Since 2014, people have talked about Richard Bland College having its own separate board. The College of William and Mary's Board of Visitors supported this idea in 2022. However, Virginia's House Appropriations Committee stopped the college's independence in February 2023.
Richard Bland College Campus
Richard Bland College of William and Mary has a large campus. It covers over 700 acres. The campus is in both Prince George and Dinwiddie Counties. It is right next to the city of Petersburg. The campus is rural and looks like a park. It has modern and older-style buildings. There are also pecan orchards and historic places. These include Maze Hall, the main office building, and parts of the old Central State Hospital. The campus also has the President's Home, a Guesthouse, a water garden, and other buildings.
Academic buildings on campus include the McNeer Building. This is where science and technology classes are held. Pecan Hall is the SSHE Building. It has classes for social studies, humanities, and English. Ernst Hall is another academic building. It has classrooms, labs, and faculty offices.
The Barn Theatre is an old dairy barn. It is now used for theater shows by Richard Bland College students and staff. The Campus Center is a busy place. It has the library, a snack bar, a dining area, a student lounge, and a bookstore. The Center for Student Affairs helps students with things like admissions, money for college, and student activities. Maze Hall is the main administration building. It has offices for the President and other leaders.
Statesman Hall has the gym, locker rooms, and a weight training center. It also has a racquetball court and rooms for exercise classes. Physical education teachers have offices there. The campus library offers important services for students.
The campus offers housing in buildings like Commerce, Freedom, and Patriot Halls. Commerce Hall used to have classrooms. After 2008, it became a student dorm. Freedom and Patriot Halls offer apartment-style living. About 500 students live in these dorms. Students living there need to keep a 2.5 GPA (grade point average). This helps keep a good study environment.
The campus also has a bridge like the Crim Dell bridge. It connects the sports fields to the student housing area. This makes it easy for students to get to the fields.
Academics at Richard Bland College
Richard Bland College of William and Mary is a small, public two-year college with dorms. It is the only one of its kind in Virginia. Its main purpose is to help students get ready for a four-year degree. Many students go on to the College of William and Mary. The college also helps students transfer to other public universities in Virginia. Richard Bland College offers many academic programs. They help students build a strong base in their chosen subjects. The college gives out Associate of Arts (A.A.) and Associate of Science (A.S.) degrees. These degrees are in areas like business, humanities, math, sciences, social sciences, and arts.
Academic departments
Some of the main departments at the college are:
- Department of Business and Economics
- Department of Humanities
- Department of Mathematics and Sciences
- Department of Social Sciences
- Department of Visual and Performing Arts
Each department offers different college courses.
Student body and admissions
| Undergrad (Fall 2018) |
Virginia | U.S. Census |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| African American | 22% | 19.4% | 12.2% |
| Asian American | 16% | 5.5% | 4.7% |
| White American | 50% | 68.6% | 63.7% |
| Hispanic American | 6% | 6.2% | 16.4% |
| Native American | 0% | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| International student | 2% | N/A | N/A |
| Two or more races | 2% | 2.9% | 1.9% |
| Other/unknown | 3% | 3.3% | 0.4% |
In Fall 2021, Richard Bland College had 2,528 students. About 62% of the students were women, and 38% were men. About 32% of students were the first in their family to go to college. Also, 57% of students were students of color.
Richard Bland College was the only two-year college in Virginia to grow in student numbers after the COVID-19 pandemic. Its student numbers went up by 21%. Other two-year colleges in Virginia saw a 14% drop.
Rankings
College Factual is a group that ranks colleges. In 2023, they ranked RBC as No. 236 out of 1,330 colleges that give associate degrees. They also said the college was No. 13 out of 64 for its overall value in Virginia. It was ranked as the 22nd-best college in the state. Overall, College Factual ranks RBC as No. 778 out of 2,241 schools in the United States. This means it ranks higher than many four-year colleges.
Richard Bland College Athletics
The official mascot of Richard Bland College is the Statesman Eagle. The college's sports teams are called the Statesmen. This name shows the college's connection to its parent school, The College of William and Mary. The college's sports fields are on the east side of campus. The Statesmen play in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). They compete at the Division I level in Region 10. They play many different sports. Men's sports include basketball, soccer, and golf. Women's sports include volleyball, softball, and soccer.
Notable alumni
- Kirk Cox, 1981, a Virginia politician who was the 55th Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates
- Kelly Gee, 2008, acting Virginia secretary of the Commonwealth
- Javaid Siddiqi, 1998, Virginia Secretary of Education (2013–14)
- Samuel Parham, 1996, Mayor of Petersburg, Virginia (2017-present)
