We manage to get quite a number of things very right on the Outer Banks and the ribbon cutting today for the new College of the Albemarle campus. The new main campus building and renovated arts building beside it take the place of a dilapidated former high school and middle school that was years past its useful life.
The new building a beautiful state of the art facility. The rooms are designed to be flexible so a variety of course instruction can be taught in the same room. And, almost all of the rooms are set up for HD television transmission to facilitate remote learning.
There are also high def tv and computers available for students so they can log into remote learning classes.
Although the facility is truly cutting edge—really where higher education is going—what may be most remarkable about the new building is that its $20 million price tag was almost entirely paid for by Dare County. The state did contribute about $1.5 million, and COA provided the furniture and technical and online purchases, about $1.2 million according to COA President Dr. Jack Bagwell. But everything else came from county coffers, including the renovations to the art building.
In some ways it is not surprising, Dare County, in the heart of the Outer Banks, has for years, championed education and has made a very real effort to insure student success. The county, as an example, will pay the tuition for COA for any county resident who graduates from one of the three local high schools.
There were about 200 people on hand for the ribbon cutting today—and that also says much about the community involvement in its students education.
The main campus for COA is still in Elizabeth City, but the new Dare County Campus certainly rivals it for technology.
The Outer Banks is a place the treasures its way of life. Come visit for a while and stay in a Brindley Beach Vacations home and see what it’s all about.