LONG BEACH, CA – Patrick & Henry Community College in Martinsville, Va. is enhancing its campus culture and promoting student success through the adoption of Caring Campus, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students.

Patrick & Henry Community College first heard about Caring Campus during a kickoff event for the Rural Pathways Initiative with the National Center for Inquiry and Improvement (NCII) in 2022.

“The more we learned about Caring Campus, the more we loved,” president Dr. Greg Hodges said. “We knew we wanted to bring Caring Campus to our college to provide us with a framework that could scale our existing caring culture and help us create a campus where everyone knows that they belong.”

Salina Lavea, a second-year general studies student and first-year welding student, said she has felt welcomed and supported by teachers, staff, and classmates alike.

“When I expressed interest in welding, my advisor Valandrea Dillard immediately encouraged me and took me to the welding building to meet the instructors,” Lavea said. “Not only did that show me that she believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself, but showed that she really wanted me to succeed. If it weren’t for Val, I would have been too scared to visit the welding building by myself and wouldn’t be here today.”

Similarly, Mavis Manns, who recently completed the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) program at Patrick & Henry Community College, credits the college for helping her transition into higher education.

“Not knowing anything and having that support system made my step into college a breeze,” Mavis said. “Events hosted by faculty and staff on campus helped me feel welcome and safe, and the check-in calls I received to see if I needed anything were very impactful.”

Members of the Fellowship of President Scholars, a class students can sign up to take with Dr. Hodges, have also expressed a newfound sense of belonging on campus.

“They’ve shared that the atmosphere feels different – more welcoming and engaging – and they ask me if there’s something new happening on campus,” Dr. Hodges said. “Their perspective is crucial, as it shows the Caring Campus framework is already making a tangible impact. I also receive great suggestions from students on how we can continue building on this culture of care in impactful ways.”

This student feedback reflects the broader goal of Caring Campus – to make every student feel valued and supported, with the responsibility placed squarely on the institution to create such an environment.

“Caring Campus stresses that the responsibility of creating a culture of care lies with the faculty, staff, and administrators,” Caring Campus founder Dr. Brad Phillips said. “Patrick & Henry Community College has fully embraced that responsibility and is doing an amazing job promoting student success. Their commitment to making students feel like they belong is truly inspiring, and is already yielding powerful results.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

IEBC_P&H1: Patrick & Henry Community College is enhancing its campus culture and promoting student success through the adoption of Caring Campus, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students.

IEBC_P&H2: This fall, Patrick & Henry Community College will expand Caring Campus to include faculty, further embedding a culture of care into the college’s daily operations and interactions.