Students Tour Old Dominion, Norfolk State Universities

As part of the VGCC Student Support Services program, a group of 19 students and three staff members spent two days in the Norfolk, Va., area in August touring Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University.

Originally, Old Dominion University was founded in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary. In 1962, it severed ties with William and Mary and became Old Dominion College. It attained university status in 1969.

The 200 acres of the ODU campus stretch from the Elizabeth River to the Lafayette River. The group enjoyed the scenic campus and were especially taken with the sailing center on campus, a stone’s throw from Whitehurst Hall (the ODU headquarters for their national championship sailing team).

Nearly 14,000 undergraduates and 3,000 graduate students study at Old Dominion. Almost half of those live on or adjacent to the campus. Others take courses through the university’s 19 TELETECHNET interactive satellite classrooms across the state. Programs and classes are also taught at regional centers and military bases locally.

Approximately 1,600 new freshmen enroll at ODU each fall. Eighty percent of the freshmen come from Virginia, while the remaining 20 percent hail from all 50 states and over 100 different countries around the world.

Norfolk State College was founded in 1935. The College, brought to life in the midst of the Great Depression, provided a setting in which the youth of the region could give expressions to their hopes and aspirations. At this founding, it was named the Norfolk Unit of Virginia Union University. In 1942, the College became the independent Norfolk Polytechnic College, and two years later an Act of the Virginia Legislature mandated that it become a part of Virginia State College.

The college was able to pursue an expanded mission with even greater emphasis in 1956 when another act of the legislature enabled the institution to offer its first bachelor’s degree. The college was separated from Virginia State College and became fully independent in 1969. Subsequent legislative acts designated the institution as a university and authorized the granting of graduate degrees. University status was attained in 1979.

Today, the university is proud to be one of the largest predominantly black institutions in the nation.

VGCC students participating in the college tour were: Patricia Alexander, Vivian Boyd, Jamie Brooks, Manette Bullock, John Clark, Ronel Cook, Michelle Davis, Terrie Evans, Tee Gilbert, Mattie Hargrove, Robert Hargrove, Tawanya Lewis, Eugenia Maddox, Phyllis Manns, Helen McDowell, Keith Taylor, Harvey Vaughn, Vernon Wilkins and Shelly Wolfe. Student Support Services staff members accompanying them were Helen Lindsey, SSS coordinator andYamika Dawes and Rose Schuster, SSS tutors.

According to Lindsey, SSS endeavors to create exciting, life- changing personal growth and enrichment programs for students. “Visiting the campuses of four-year colleges gives our students an opportunity to see what life at such an institution is like,” said Lindsey.

Students participating reported that the campus tours were well organized, informative and enlightening. “The guides from each school presented information about their schools in creative and stimulating ways,” said nursing student Phyllis Mann. “They were very knowledgeable about their subject matter.”

After exploring the universities, the group visited Virginia Beach, touring historic sites, sampling various cuisines and buying souvenirs.