The Roanoke Higher Education Center develops partnerships and maintains a state-of-the-art learning facility that provides citizens of the Roanoke region access to training, certifications and degrees.

The Roanoke Higher Education Center, known throughout the Roanoke region as a dynamic learning community of colleges and organizations, responds to the evolving needs of the current and future workforce. 

To expand educational opportunities in the Roanoke region through collaboration, servant leadership and financial efficiency.

The Roanoke Higher Education Authority is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth established by the Virginia General Assembly in 1997.  The Roanoke Higher Education Center (RHEC) operates under the umbrella of the Authority and is unique in the number and types of organizations that have joined forces in one location to deliver educational opportunities at every level, from earning a GED to receiving an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree. Adult learners also have access to workforce training programs leading to certifications and endorsements. Located in downtown Roanoke, RHEC is situated in the former headquarters of the Norfolk and Western Railroad. Our campus includes the main building, the Claude Moore Education Complex, and a Central Walkway Plaza connects the two facilities. The Center’s partners include: CodeVA, James Madison University, Mountain Gateway Community College, Old Dominion University, Radford University, Region 5 Adult Education, TAP This Valley Works, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia State, Virginia Tech, Virginia Western Community College, and WEBe Academy.  The Educational Testing Center offers proctoring for graduate school exams, standardized tests, distance-learning exams, prior learning assessments, and industry specific tests. Space in our facilities is open to businesses, industries, and organizations who wish to hold meetings, retreats, or training.

The Center continues to meet the workforce needs of the region through various venues, to include, credit and non-credit training. Popular programs include teacher certifications and endorsements, social work, culinary arts, educational leadership, OSHA training, and health care programs at all levels--CNA, clinical medical assistant, nursing, and nurse anesthesia practice. 

The Educational Testing Center (ETC) serves individuals who wish to enter or re-enter the workforce, move laterally to another company, or pursue upward mobility in their job. Plans are in place to expand the ETC to improve efficiency, enhance safety, and support testers who require special accommodations. Hours of operation have been expanded to include day, evening, and weekend options. Types of tests offered include, GED, proctoring for distance education classes, graduate and post graduate exams (MAT, GRE, LSAT), pre-employment testing, certified medical assistant and certified nurse educator, certified biomedical equipment technician, HUD housing counselor certification, pharmacy technician, Praxis, Cisco Systems, and BOC Athletic Trainer Certification.

RHEC will complete the goals and objectives of the 2020-2023 strategic plan in 2023 and will begin the process to establish the next 3-5 year plan. Efforts to expand the diversity, equity, and inclusion goals have created positive results, to include the recruitment of Virginia State who joined membership in 2022. Recruiting new colleges, universities, and workforce agencies is a continuous goal.

RHEC  hired its first Development Officer in 2021 and the Foundation Board have approved the following fundraising priorites: create a career and workforce center to link graduates to jobs and internships; raise money for scholarships; and establish an innovation workforce fund to encourage and incentivize new program development aligned with current and future jobs in the Roanoke region. The Center awarded its first five scholarships in 2022 to minority students pursuing credit and non-credit programs.

Information Technology

The Center continues to address technology infrastructure by upgrading network switches and hardware and software to meet ongoing needs.  Recent improvements include increasing Internet speed to 1 gigabit to improve remote site connections and replacing our server storage to increase security and recovery time in case of network failure. We recently initiated a major project to replace all of our existing distribution switches.  This will ensure better equipment compatibility in the network, ease of management, and overall better network security. 

The annual allotment of the Higher Education Equipment Trust Fund for 2023 is $77,623.00. 

The center operates with a staff of 17 salaried and 9 part-time wage individuals.

The Center owns and operates two buildings of historical significance, one of which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The main eight-story building, consisting of 154,924 square feet, was constructed in 1931 and served as the headquarters for the Norfolk Western Railway. Although the structure has been renovated several times, it still requires routine upkeep and continuous repairs. The Claude Moore Education Complex is an adjoining building, consisting of 18,192 square feet, that was renovated and expanded in 2018. The buildings are connected by a walkway and grassy courtyard measuring 11,692 square feet, and the grounds surrounding the facilities add another 26,000 square feet. Maintaining two student parking lots (totaling 38,062 square feet) is also a responsibility of our maintenance staff. With only two maintenance employees reporting to a Director of Facility Services, the Center is understaffed and struggling to properly maintain our buildings and grounds. The Facility Services team make every attempt to promptly respond to 40-50 weekly maintenance requests from member institutions, faculty, and staff. Further examples of their day-to-day demands include the important projects facing RHEC this fiscal year, to include, the replacement of 330 antiquated fan coils in the main building, repairing the curtain wall façade at the front entrance to eliminate water leaks, and replacing uneven brick pavers and performing other upgrades leading into the main entrance.

In-person learning is on the rise and we are experiencing heightened levels of activity in the use of the Educational Testing Center (ETC) and in our day rental program. In FY22, 7,917 individuals representing business, industry, and government conducted training and meetings in our facilities. RHEC proctored 2800 tests in the ETC during FY22. This department strives to maintain a well-kept workplace, but the workload is overwhelming. The option to hire contractors to assist is not ideal because it adds strain to our budget.

Maintenance Reserve (MR) funding from the Commonwealth of Virginia will provide monies for certain repairs and replacements but will not cover routine maintenance needs. Our FY23 MR allotment is $406,181 and FY24 will be $373,127.

Approximately 37% of RHEC’s operating budget comes from lease revenues.  Membership has remained steady and continuous efforts are made to secure new partners and to lend support to our existing partners who wish to expand their office and classroom space. Currently, RHEC plays host to 12 college, university, and workforce agencies (CodeVA, James Madison University, Mountain Gateway Community College, Old Dominion University, Radford University, Region 5 Adult Education, TAP This Valley Works, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia State University, Virginia Tech, Virginia Western Community College, and WEBe Academy), and other partners who lease space include Seasons and Occasions Café, Roanoke Valley Broadband Authority, TAP Headstart, Project Discovery, and Virginia 811 Miss Utility.

State funding accounts for another 56% of the operating budget, and we have experienced slight increases over the past 5 years.  Revenue from day rental and testing fees make up the remaining 7%.  

The Center will experience financial risks should there be a reduction in the number of member institutions who lease space in our facilities. Furthermore, the Center is heavily reliant on state funding as we aspire to grow our services and continue our efforts to support the workforce needs of the Roanoke region.

Online learning is a popular delivery model for adult learners who are seeking degrees or wanting to secure credentials and endorsements. The Center will face financial risks if members do not require classroom space to deliver their programs.  The RHEC Strategic Plan outlines our intentional focus to seek programming opportunities that require classroom and/or hands-on learning. RHEC’s culinary arts and clinical simulation center are examples of laboratory learning, and these programs directly support the jobs required by the food, restaurant, and health care sectors of the Roanoke region. Many students struggle with online learning, and we anticipate they will turn to RHEC to seek in-person classes and student suppport services (library and computer access, tutoring, and test proctoring).

RHEC will conduct a labor market study in 2022 to guide the work of the Center for the future. The study is intended to provide information on the population of the region regarding employment characteristics and education; classify skill gaps and training needs; and serve as the justification for partner institutions to develop new programming aligned with workforce needs.

As we forecast for the future, extra funding will be essential for adding staff and funding projects related to RHEC’s Strategic Plan, Governor Youngkin’s OKR’s, the directives from the Roanoke Higher Education Authority Board, and to implement the data collected from the 2022 labor market study.  

RHEC is making concerted efforts to increase our revenue through the expansion of testing services, our increased marketing to advertise day rental services, and our recruitment strategies to add new members.

Funding to operate the Roanoke Higher Education Center is derived from state and local appropriations, revenue from rent and services paid by members who lease space, fees collected from proctored testing and monies resulting from use of the Center’s conference facilities.

Funds are expended to pay personnel, operate and maintain the center’s facilities, and provide services to members and customers.

Only the state general fund amount is listed in the table below.

2023 General Fund

$2,230,854 less the amount that will flow directly to VCU ($333,721) for the Medical Imaging Center = $1,897,133

2024 General Fund

$2,071,068 less the amount that will flow directly to VCU ($173,721) = $1,897,347

Not applicable since the Roanoke Higher Education Authority is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of VA.

A regional market assessment was conducted in 2012 and a new labor market study will be performed in 2022. The 2022 report will outline information on the population of the region regarding employment characteristics and education; classify skill gaps and training needs; and give validation to our partner institutions for the need to develop and deliver new training programs and degrees that lead directly to jobs. Our current partner institutions are anxious to receive the results giving them the focus they need to achieve a positive return on investment of their efforts.  The new data will also validate the programs already in place that are supplying the Roanoke region with “work ready” employees, and individuals who hold credentials and endorsements, and degrees awarded from RHEC. As we develop a new strategic plan in 2023, the details of the 2022 study, along with the OKR directives of Governor Youngkin, will give RHEC a clear pathway to advance our work.

The center serves approximately 2000 students per year who are participating in one or more of 150 programs offered by 12 colleges, universities and workforce training organizations. RHEC celebrated the success of 1024 program completers for FY22.

The Educational Testing Center conducted 2,863 tests in 2022 for individuals to receive certifications and endorsements necessay to enter or re-enter the workforce, make lateral moves in employment, and/or to achieve upward mombility. Furthermore, RHEC hosted 5,142 individuals to our facilities represesnting business, industry, and government during 2022 (135 day rental activities, 10 multi-day events, and 10 new clients). 

The 2019 Economic Impact Study indicated the RHEC and its member institutions contribute an estimated $10 million annually to the Roanoke region’s economy. The graduates support approximately 129 jobs in the Roanoke MSA, and student spending contributes another $6 million to our economy.

See attachment - RHEC FY 22 Program Completion Report detailing completions by member institution, analyzing workforce training and degree completion, and outlining program completers according to careers.

Over the past few years, RHEC's number of member institutions has wavered between 11-13. Currently we host 12 college, university, and workforce partners, and the 2020-2023 Strategic Plan outlines our ongoing goal to seek new memberships. Newest additions include CodeVA, a Richmond based agency committed to supporting a STEM pipeline of students and teachers to work and teach in computer science fields; WEBe Academy, a non-profit organization supporting minority-owned businesses with entrepreneurship opportunities; and Virginia State University, an HBCU who plans to deliver a hospitality management program.

The executive team continues to seek new members who can deliver programming aligned with the workforce needs of the Roanoke region. Efforts are also made to retain members. The Executive Director and Director of Academic and Student Services meet one-on-one annually with each partner to ascertain the challenges they are facing and to identify ways the RHEC staff can support their efforts. Examples of ways RHEC has assisted include, featuring their students and programs in the quarterly E-newsletter and in the local publications, posting job openings on the RHEC webpage, spotlighting their successes in annual reports, utilizing student testimonials at each Board of Trustee meeting, and establishing a scholarship fund to lend financial help to students who wish to pursue a degree or earn a certification.

Positive partnerships exist with the Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council, the Virginia Career Works of the Blue Ridge, the Roanoke Regional Partnership, The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission, Carilion Clinic, United Way of the Roanoke Valley, the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Salem-Roanoke Chamber of Commerce, and the Botetourt County Chamber of Commerce. Executive Directors of all five higher education centers in the Commonwealth (RHEC, Southwest, Southside, The New College and Danville Institute of Advanced Learning and Research) meet quarterly to discuss collaborative opportunities and to connect with the Secretary of Education and other members of the Governor’s cabinet.

The Roanoke Higher Education Center through its partners, deliver college degree attainment and workforce development training needs to create and maintain a highly skilled workforce. The center's partners currently offer 150 programs, which in 2022 lead to the awarding of 1024 diplomas, certificates and degrees. Examples of degree completion: Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia; Masters of Social Work; Certificates in Educational Leadership; BSN in Nursing; Certificates in Advanced Foodservice, Baking and Pastry, and Cake Production. Workforce training completions included: Clinical Medical Assistant, Licensed Massage Therapist, Nurse Aide, and OSHA certifications.

The center provides facilities for conferences, meetings, teleconferences and training supporting the needs of businesses and industries. In 2022, 135 events were scheduled that brought 5,142 business, industry, and community leaders into our facilities.

An educational testing center offers proctoring for graduate school exams, national standardized tests, distance learning exams and other industry specific tests. In FY22, 2,863 tests were proctored that allowed individuals the opportunity to earn a GED or achieve workforce credentials and endorsements. Examples of tests include: Types of tests offered include, GED, proctoring for distance education classes, graduate and post graduate exams (MAT, GRE, LSAT), pre-employment testing, certified medical assistant and certified nurse educator, certified biomedical equipment technician, HUD housing counselor certification, pharmacy technician, Praxis, Cisco Systems, and BOC Athletic Trainer Certification.

Approximately 37% of RHEC’s operating budget comes from lease revenues. State funding accounts for another 56% of the operating budget, and  revenue from day rental and testing fees make up the remaining 7%.  

Funds are expended to staff, equip, secure, operate and maintain the center facilities and

provide services to its members and customers.

The state general fund component of the Roanoke Higher Education Center's financial

resources is listed in the table below, as the nongeneral funds are not appropriated in the

state budget.

By improving the facility and providing state-of-the-art technology to effectively deliver academic and training programs in-person and virtually, we will attract new partnerships, programs and students.

The Roanoke Higher Education Authority owns the Roanoke Higher Education Center, the Claude Moore Education Complex, and the Central Walkway Plaza. RHEC leases plots of land and maintains two student parking lots.

• Enhance communication with stakeholders and occupants.

• Utilize the long-term planning process to strategically plan facility improvements. Budget monies using a 1-5 year phasing approach.

• Optimize the use of CMR and HEETF funds.

• Comply with regulations and increase safety and security measures

• Perform renovations and upgrades that improve efficiency in utility costs

By facilitating partnerships with colleges and training organizations, RHEC can provide access to programs for the citizens of the Roanoke region. An educated and trained workforce positively impact the regional economy.

Collaborate with existing and new partners to deliver academic and workforce training programs that address the workforce needs of the region.

• Review data from workforce reports to determine trends, workforce needs and the jobs of the future.

• Evaluate data from 2022 labor market study.

• Collaborate with member institutions to develop new programming identified from 2022 labor market study data.

By providing on site student support services, students are motivated to complete programs and achieve career goals. Access to reading, writing, and math tutoring, and assistance with study skills and time management are essential to student success.

The center hosts several student support services including a full-service library, education testing center, tutoring and computing labs to support distance education learners.

• Align library services with member institution, faculty, and staff needs.

• Increase the number of test center partners and exam opportunities.

• Provide and promote tutoring, student success, and other career services to the general public.

The Roanoke Higher Education Center day rents a variety of small and large meeting spaces and computer laboratories to businesses, industries and community organizations. During FY 2022, 40 clients held 135 events, reflecting 5142 guests to the Center. Clients range from economic development groups and governmental agencies, educational entities, health care organizations, non-profits, civic and community groups. Day rental activities include in-person and hybrid meetings, computer-based testing and trainings, small conferences and retreats.

The Center maintains and day rents classrooms, conference rooms, computer labs and office space to businesses and organizations for meetings, conferences and training events.

• Identify new clients for space utilization

• Maintain competitive pricing for meeting space and technology utilization

• Update technology in support of current and emerging educational trends

• Upgrade furnishings