Emory & Henry officially becomes a university; more …

Here’s a roundup of news briefs from around Southwest and Southside. Send yours for possible inclusion to news@cardinalnews.org .

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Emory & Henry officially becomes a university

It’s official: With the flip of the calendar to Aug. 1, Emory & Henry College became Emory & Henry University.

Celebrations will begin at the university in Washington County once students and faculty return to the campus later this month, and there will be new merchandise updating the name, giveaways, new signs and more, according to an E&H news release.

“This is a pivotal moment in the 188-year history of Emory & Henry,” Lou Fincher, interim president and former senior vice president and dean for the School of Health Sciences, said in the release. “The transition to university status reflects the institution’s evolution and increased complexity.”

The E&H Board of Trustees approved the new 2023-2026 strategic plan in March 2023, and it included a move to a private regional comprehensive university to be fully implemented by this fall.

Carnegie Classification, a framework for classifying colleges and universities in the U.S., defines comprehensive universities as those offering degrees at the master’s level and a few at the doctoral level, according to the release.

Over the past decade, new master’s and doctoral programs in health sciences, education and now business have been added to the liberal arts bachelor’s degree offerings.

Interstate 81 signs will soon change and updated E&H license plates will be available at the Department of Motor Vehicles in future months. In addition, Wasps sports fans will see a new and improved Wasps icon in the school’s arena. Emory & Henry is a member of the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Conference.

The new school structure remains rooted in the liberal arts while broadening its appeal to wider student audiences, and its expanding role as an economic driver in the region, college officials said in the release.

A 2022 economic impact study showed that operations and impact from E&H in the region has grown to $96 million, according to the release.

New online programs for adult degree completion are planned for fall 2025, as well as certificates for adults to upskill or finish their degree.

Classes start Aug. 14 for students on the main campus and Aug. 19 on the Marion campus. Preliminary numbers for enrollment this fall are estimated at a total of 1,310 students: 1,103 undergraduates and 207 graduate students. Those numbers are comparable to last year and final numbers won’t be known until late August, according to Jennifer Pearce, vice president for external affairs.

— Susan Cameron

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Radford, Virginia Tech announce master’s degree partnership

Radford University is Virginia Tech’s latest partner for a master’s degree program in agricultural and applied economics. The new partnership, announced Tuesday , offers Radford students with a 3.3 grade point average admission to Tech’s program. Students will begin the “4+1” program during their senior year at Radford and can finish their master’s degree within a year of finishing their undergraduate studies.

The program takes place online, and is designed to train students for career pathways working for government agencies, advocacy organizations, trading firms or agricultural businesses, among other options.

Students from any major can apply for the program, but they must have completed certain courses in statistics, microeconomics, and calculus.

Tech previously announced a partnership with Roanoke College to offer the 4+1 setup.

— Lisa Rowan

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Roanoke seeks public input for traffic safety initiative

Roanoke residents are invited to participate in a weeklong program to gather community feedback on traffic safety.

Community Engagement Week for Vision Zero Roanoke runs Aug. 5-9. It will include a series of walk audits and informal engagement sessions, according to a release from the city.

The walk audits are open to the public, but space is limited. To participate, email Rob Issem at Robert.Issem@roanokeva.gov .

Residents also may drop by any of the following informal sessions to ask questions and share their traffic safety concerns and suggestions:

• 5 p.m. Aug. 5: Big Lick Brewing, 409 Salem Ave. S.W.
• 5 p.m. Aug. 6: McCadden Park, 1616 19th St. N.W.
• 6:30 p.m. Aug. 6: Fire Station 8, 2328 Crystal Spring Ave. S.W.
• 5 p.m. Aug. 7: Berglund Center Special Events Center, 710 Williamson Road
• 4 p.m. Aug. 8: Williamson Road Library, 3837 Williamson Road

The Vision Zero project aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. More information is at www.roanokeva.gov/visionzero .

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