Four classes in funeral directorship are being offered for the first time this fall at the Greenbrier Valley Campus of New River Community and Technical College, according to Roger Griffith, director of the GVCNRCTC.

“These are classes which will help the student who wants to work in the funeral directorship business, but not be the mortician,” according to William Higginbotham III, owner/manager of Shanklin Funeral Home in White Sulphur Springs.

“We are offering these classes on line for those who have considered the funeral directorship business, but who do not wish to go through the mortician training,” Griffith explained. Classes offered are Funeral Management/Merchandising, Funeral Service Psychology, History of Funeral Service, and Funeral Service Law.

The GVCNRCTC also offers a full schedule of business and office technology classes appropriate for any business’ employees.

Students going into a mortician school will need to check with that school as to enrolling in these classes offered at GVCNRCTC. Most mortician training schools require a two year degree, usually in science, for admission and then would offer these classes as part of the training, Higginbotham explained. “Many funeral homes do have specialized jobs so that these classes would be appropriate in a non-mortician funeral directorship program of study,” Higginbotham concluded. In the Greenbrier Valley and Alleghany Highlands, there are 18 funeral homes in addition to Shanklin.

In addition to specialized classes in funeral directorship, the GVCNRCTC is also offering classes in Aviation, Fire Administration, Paramedic, Wastewater Treatment, and Wastewater Distribution.

For information on the programs of study and courses offered at the Greenbrier Valley Campus, telephone 304-647-6560 or write or visit the GVCNRCTC, 101 Church Street, Lewisburg, WV, 24901.

July 13, 2005

Submitted by Mike Williams