Old Dominion University Celebrates 25 Years of Partnership with the Virginia Community College System

Norfolk, Va. – In 1994, Old Dominion University and the Virginia Community College System teamed up to make higher education accessible to more Virginians through a remote learning system that was ground-breaking at the time. Through this partnership, students could earn their associate degrees from a community college in their home communities and continue their bachelor's degree studies with ODU without having to move or commute to ODU's campus in Norfolk, Virginia. Classes were relayed from ODU's main campus to the community colleges or other local learning centers via satellite, and students had access to ODU faculty at their learning site. 

Twenty-five years later, the satellites are no longer in use, but the distance learning partnership is still thriving. ODUOnline has grown from just a few bachelor's degree programs to over 100 programs, and the benefits for Virginia college students keep getting better. 

“Twenty-five years of partnership with VCCS means two and a half decades of joint creation of pathways for student success along with technological and accessibility improvements and money saved for students all across Virginia," said Andy Casiello, associate vice president for distance learning.  "Although so much has changed since we first began in 1994, the goal has always been, and will continue to be, the delivery of high quality, rigorous programs that prepare our students for the future.” Casiello recently spoke at the Virginia Community College Association conference in Norfolk, Virginia.

Students find they can save money by living at home and studying at a community college for the first two years. Others work full time and attend online classes as they fit education into their busy lives. More and more Virginians, especially those who aren't within commuting distance of a university, are taking advantage. ODU's contribution to preparing the Virginia workforce for the flood of new jobs coming to the Commonwealth has been significant. 

“Our growth has been outstanding. Both ODU and VCCS are making amazing strides to meet the needs of our changing Commonwealth," said Casiello. "Virginia is making waves, moving up, and leading the country in so many ways. Both Old Dominion University and the Virginia Community College System are prepared to continue growing our offerings to stay on the cutting edge.”

To learn more about ODU's academic partnerships, visit online.odu.edu/partners.

About Old Dominion University

Old Dominion University, located in the coastal city of Norfolk, is Virginia's entrepreneurial-minded doctoral research university and has been delivering distance learning programs for 30 years. We offer more than 100 programs through ODUOnline in a variety of formats, allowing students to complete degree programs across the world. ODU serves more than 24,000 students annually by providing the same rigorous academics online and on-campus. Learn more about ODUOnline's programs by visiting online.odu.edu.