BSC Contingent Participates in
Higher Education Day at the Legislature

( Bluefield)--A contingent of nine Bluefield State College students accompanied nine BSC faculty and staff to Charleston recently to participate in the annual "Higher Education Day at the State Legislature.

The event, which was coordinated by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical Colleges, increased lawmakers' awareness of the accomplishments, goals, and importance of the state’s 30 public and private colleges and universities.

Each college exhibited its peaks of excellence at its institutional display in the Capitol Rotunda, and participating students and staff visited legislators, attended sessions of the House of Delegates and State Senate, and toured the Capitol. Delegate Marshall Long and Senator Don Caruth, on behalf of all regional legislators, officially recognized the BSC contingent during regular sessions of the House and Senate.

The BSC contingent talked to legislators about the College’s achievements, including:

1- An education at Bluefield State College is an investment that pays big dividends, according to a recently released study.  During one six-year period included in the Higher Education Policy Commission study (1995-2001), BSC grads now living in West Virginia earned an average of more than $38,000 in 2004.  Over the entire eight year period (1995-2003) of the report, BSC baccalaureate grads now living in-state earned more than $35,700 in '04.

2-BSC was selected for the sixth consecutive year as one of " America's Best Colleges" by U.S. News & World Report.  

3-BSC Radiologic Technology students (class of 2005) achieved a 100% passage rate on the American Registry of Radiographic Technographers' certification exam.  

4-Autonomous ground robots designed and built by a team of BSC students has won four world titles at the "Intelligent Ground Robotics Vehicle (IGRV) international championships during the past three years.  

5-Nearly 7000 area high school sophomores have visited BSC and received assistance in conjunction with the College Tech Prep Program during the past five years.  

6-BSC has provided the National Youth Sports Program for disadvantaged area youth for the past six years, with a combined attendance of more than 1000 young students (age 10-16) taking part in the program (offered free of charge to the students) over that period.

7-BSC was selected as a biomedical research “institution of excellence” by the National Institute of Health.

8-Bluefield State College has the lowest in-state tuition of all public four-year colleges within a 200 mile region.

9-BSC has established a student theatrical group that presents two three-act plays each year.

10- Graduates of Bluefield State College's Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Program achieved a 92.54% passage rate on the National Council Licensure Examination-RN (NCLEX-RN) for the reporting period of January 1-December 31, 2005. The state passage rate on the NCLEX-RN was 87.24% and the national passage rate was 87.29%.

February 22, 2006