In the summer of 2020, the State Board for Community Colleges directed all of the state’s 23 community colleges to review the appropriateness of the names of their institutions, campuses and facilities, and to provide the State Board with any recommended changes. Those recommendations were given to the State Board the following March.
The State Board for Community Colleges has the authority to determine the names of community colleges and college campuses. The State Board has delegated authority to local college advisory boards to approve the names of on-campus facilities.
The mission of the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) and the shared dedication to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion demand we examine the names regularly facing our students, faculty, staff, and supporters on their community college journey and determine if those names are consistent with that mission and those values.
A taskforce consisting of stakeholders, such as students, staff, alumni, community members, donors and board members, worked with our communities to generate potential names, and recommended the name Laurel Ridge. On July 22, 2021, the State Board unanimously approved Laurel Ridge Community College as our new name.
Our 2023 graduates will be the first to have Laurel Ridge Community College on their diplomas.
While we changed our name, what hasn’t changed is our mission of providing a positive, caring and dynamic learning environment that inspires student success, values diversity and promotes community vitality.
Why Laurel Ridge?
The name Laurel Ridge reminds us that everyone who comes to us can succeed. It also reflects the natural beauty that surrounds us.
Laurel grows throughout our service region. The mountain laurel adds to the beauty of our area as it blooms in spectacular fashion along our parkways, in our forests and across various landscapes. This evergreen plant is native to the eastern U.S.
Laurel has symbolized victory and achievement from ancient Greek and Roman times all the way through to today.
Olympic champions were wreathed in laurel. More importantly for our purposes, the term “laurel” conveys academic achievement. Each year, millions of students earn baccalaureate degrees, and the term “laureate” is bestowed on those reaching the highest creative or intellectual summits, such as Nobel and poet laureates. Therefore, the name reflects our high standards and positive outlook focusing on student success.
“Ridge” symbolizes the unique beauty of our area and is a tribute to the Blue Ridge Mountains, which connect the northern Piedmont region in the east with the Shenandoah Valley in the west. All of the localities served by our college feel a connection to the Blue Ridge Mountains, whether they’re in the foothills, along Skyline Drive or in the valley. A ridge is also associated with the concept of achievement, and often appears in literature as a metaphor for reaching new heights.
Grow with us.
Today, Laurel Ridge serves approximately 20,000 students each year through academic and workforce training programs. They come from our service regions of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Warren counties, the city of Winchester, and even further afield thanks to our online offerings.
Through dual-enrollment courses, thousands of young people are able to obtain a college education while still in high school. Many of them even earn their associate degree before their high school career is finished.
Now as we look back proudly on this half-century of providing students with a quality education, we also look towards the future as we endeavor to bring a first-rate education and relevant workforce training to all those who desire them.
We are excited to have you alongside our Laurel Ridge team as we embark on the next 50 years – and more – of our journey.