Dear Ferrum Friends,

Happy and healthy holidays! During this season of Advent, as we prayerfully anticipate Hanukkah, Christmas, and the New Year, let us always be mindful of and grateful for our health. As some of you are aware, my husband, Conrad, had emergency angioplasty surgery last month. While he is now doing well, the reality of facing serious medical issues reinforced my profound belief in celebrating life every day. Special thanks to all of you who supported us during this time through your thoughts and prayers. I would also like to thank all of the performance groups and our Dean of the Chapel who remind us of the “reason for the season” this month with their inspiring and entertaining presentations.

I used this lovely winter photo of historic St. James United Methodist Church (taken by Ken McCreedy) as my Christmas card this year because I wanted to highlight the importance of past, present and future relationships for Ferrum College. Ferrum Training School was founded in 1913 because of the necessity in this area for education. We have continued to evolve as an institution throughout the years in response to changing times and needs and have given back to the region in many significant ways. Our receipt of the “Community Service Award” from the Community Partnership for Revitalization in Rocky Mount is the most recent recognition and affirmation of that outreach.

As we are increasingly aware, community partnerships and economic development are also critical to our future and our Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). When I arrived on campus in July of 2002, a community development plan was under discussion, but we decided to put it “on hold” while we addressed our “core college” needs for increasing enrollment and retention, enhancing our academic profile, improving student success, decreasing the endowment spending rate and raising compensation levels. Through FerrumPLUS! we have also been actively renovating and refurbishing older campus buildings and constructing new facilities and additions to existing facilities. During this time period we have also thoughtfully considered the feedback regarding the plan that we received from the campus and other constituents.

While keeping our “core college” issues at the forefront, we are ready again to “tackle” the broader issue of improving our surrounding community and bringing much needed additional amenities to the students, faculty, staff and families of our College and community. National publications continue to emphasize that rural colleges with a population of under 1,000 students are the most “at risk” institutions. Studies indicate that small colleges that work with their communities to successfully attract investment and economic development are in a better position to thrive and remain competitive. Even many urban campuses have taken an active role in community building and revitalization to secure their futures.

Most of you know that we have been actively engaged in community master planning discussions for many years, including multiple internal and external studies and work by various task forces. Elements of the plan were actually introduced in the “Arthur” years of the 1960s, under the visionary leadership of seventh Ferrum College president Ralph Arthur. Throughout the 1990s, additional components of the plan began to take shape. The Conceptual Master Plan for land use was approved by the Board in 1999 and reaffirmed in 2002.

Last May and again in August I informed the campus community that the Board was interested in bringing forward the latest version of the plan for the fall 2005 meeting. To that end, we used the unexpended money in the Tobacco Commission grant (funds that were specifically earmarked for planning purposes) to hire a professional planning expert to incorporate all prior input as well as current ideas into an up-to-date plan. At the November meeting, the Board of Trustees approved this most recent iteration of our Conceptual Master Plan for land use and gave us the authority to proceed with implementation. In a recent letter to the campus community I provided additional information about the plan, which includes as a first step the renovation and relocation of the Farm Museum buildings to the north side of Route 40, prime land that is currently occupied by College maintenance facilities. We have named the next phase of the plan, which will incorporate health services, retail and other amenities, “Blue Ridge Village.”

As we have all seen during these last few years, change HAS occurred in our community, mainly in a negative fashion. In the relatively short time that I have been here, we have continued to lose a number of essential retail and service operations in and around the Village of Ferrum, including a pharmacy and physician, and our closest full service grocery store has closed. We now have an opportunity to be positive agents for the changes that will inevitably continue to occur, and help make certain that they are changes for the better. As the largest economic driver in western Franklin County, Ferrum College must help to bring the lost services back. Our future as a College and as a community depends upon it.

The theme of my Report from the College at the fall Board meeting was “Commemorating the Past, Celebrating the Present, Creating the Future.” We are optimistic and excited about this next evolutionary opportunity to assist in assuring a bright and dynamic future for Ferrum College and the community. I thank you for your ongoing support in making this future a reality.

This image is a conceptual design of what a Blue Ridge Village food store and shopping area may look like. Image courtesy Dick Davis & Associates.

Ferrum Announces Plan to Revitalize Community
Blue Ridge Village to Offer Health Center, Grocery Store, Bank and Shops
The Ferrum College Board of Trustees has approved a plan for community and economic development that would continue the College’s leadership role in improving the facilities and academic programs of the College.

“Blue Ridge Village” will be built on College-owned land. An aesthetically pleasing arrangement of retail and service entities will end the need to drive as much as 30 minutes to buy groceries, visit physicians, fill prescriptions and enjoy dining out. Current plans call for Blue Ridge Village to include health services, a grocery store, restaurants, shops, a bank and residential.

“Ferrum College is embarking on what many colleges across the nation, especially small colleges in rural areas, must do to remain vibrant – contribute to the economic development of the surrounding area and become a catalyst for community renewal,” said President Jennifer Braaten. “The long-term vitality of the Ferrum community depends on a strong College and, likewise, Ferrum College cannot succeed without a dynamic community.” Read more here...

Ferrum & The Holidays!
Tis the season as Ferrum hosts student and community performances and special events (these are but a sampling of the many events around the holiday season; keep up to date with our improved online calendar here).

Call for Nominations for the 2006 Distinguished Alumni Awards & Sports Hall of Fame
Greetings from the Alumni Office! It's time to begin the Distinguished Alumni Award and Sports Hall of Fame nomination process for 2006. We need your input! Please make us aware of members of the alumni family whom you would like to see recognized with these honors by returning the attached nomination forms to the Alumni Office by February 2006.
- Joanna Coleman, DIrector of Alumni & Family Services

Sports Hall of Fame
Download and read the nomination letter
Download and fill out the nomination form

Distinguished Alumni Awards
Ferrum College will recognize the outstanding achievements of alumni who exemplify the three eras of Ferrum College: one representing Ferrum Training School, one representing Ferrum Junior College, and one representing Ferrum College. Nominees should:

Roberts Hall Lions Club Ornament Available in the Bookstore
Looking for that unique Christmas gift to give to friends and family and support community service at the same time? We have the ideal gift for only $5 each. The Ferrum Lions Club has a series of Christmas Ornaments featuring Ferrum College and the Ferrum Community. Each year, we commission a new ornament. We now have five plus a Virginia state ornament. The campus buildings featured include the Chapel and Bell Tower, Schoolfield Hall, and Roberts Hall. The community ornaments included the St. James Church and the Phoebe Needles Retreat Center (coming this February is the Ferrum Fire Dept). Each ornament is boxed and ready to be wrapped and ships very easily. Want to see them. Examples are at the web site: http://www.ferrum.edu/caws/ornament.htm or better yet, you can go by the Ferrum College Bookstore. For additional information contact: Bob Pohlad at: bpohlad@ferrum.edu

Ferrum to Offer Athletic Webcasts
The College has begun offering athletic web broadcasts of selected events! The College has partnered with Rocky Mount Communications and Stretch Internet to make this service possible to Ferrum fans, friends, and family members. Read more here and listen here. Also: Get Ferrum scores in your cell phone and email with eScores! Sign up free today!

On-Line Giving
The development office is pleased to announce that you can now make your gift to Ferrum on-line using our secure server and your credit card. It is safe, secure, and an easy way to support the Ferrum Fund or any of the other exciting activities happening at Ferrum. From the Ferrum College homepage, follow the SUPPORT FERRUM link to our on-line giving site. Ferrum uses gifts from alumni and friends to enhance the educational opportunities given to our students. Please support the College and make your gift on-line.