YOUR TURN
Education can be transformative
Earlier generations considered high school completion the key to success. Many viewed postsecondary education an extravagance because folks with high school diplomas could secure good-paying ...
Dr. Al Roberts, Author at Farmville
Columns
College community connection
Audrey Williams June, writing in the October 2018 issue of Chronicle of Higher Education, reported, “Having a mentor can make a big difference in student’s ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Thursday, March 21, 2019 9:41 am
Columns
Reading is important
The One World Literacy Foundation explains, “Reading is how we discover new things and how we develop a positive self-image. The ability to read is ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Thursday, February 21, 2019 11:27 am
Columns
Dual enrollment opens diverse doors
At the end of the last school year, in addition to their high school diplomas, 741 graduating seniors received credentials from Southside Virginia Community College. ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Thursday, January 17, 2019 2:03 pm
Columns
A gift in winter
The 20th century British poet Edith Sitwell wrote, “Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Monday, December 24, 2018 11:08 am
YOUR TURN
Building for a promising future
Established in 1970, Southside Virginia Community College is one of 23 colleges in the Virginia Community College System. From its humble beginnings, the college has ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Friday, October 19, 2018 3:36 am
Guest Columns
Back to school
Fall is in the air, and students are back to work. The hallways at Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC) teem with a mix of new ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Friday, September 21, 2018 8:44 am
Columns
Teachers needed for tomorrow
Nationwide, schools are experiencing a scarcity of qualified job candidates for teaching positions. Declining enrollment in programs that prepare students for licensure as teachers is ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Wednesday, August 15, 2018 7:06 am
Columns
Keeping your cool
As temperatures outside rise, indoor thermostats often respond by calling for cooler air. This ability to control the indoor environment helps people be more comfortable. ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Tuesday, July 17, 2018 12:19 pm
Columns
An alternative to the traditional four-year plan
The National Center for Education Statistics reports that the number of bachelor degrees conferred in the U.S. has increased by 125 percent since the early ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Tuesday, June 19, 2018 10:49 am
YOUR TURN
Customized, job-driven training
Businesses across the Commonwealth of Virginia, including right here in the Southside region, continue to report a skills mismatch between job seekers and open positions. ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Tuesday, April 17, 2018 12:02 pm
Columns
New beginnings
Many people usher in the new year with a fist full of resolutions and renewed determination to start afresh toward achieving personal goals. Surveys done ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Tuesday, February 13, 2018 11:41 am
Columns
Thanks to a truck driver
Santa may rely on a sleigh and reindeer, but other folks who want holiday packages delivered to distant destinations typically rely on trucks. In fact, ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Tuesday, December 19, 2017 12:29 pm
Columns
How to start college with an advantage
Dual enrollment programs operate as collaborative partnerships between high schools and colleges. They offer students who meet prerequisite requirements an opportunity to jump-start collegiate and ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Tuesday, November 14, 2017 12:46 pm
Columns
Assessing the value of education
Every year as the summer turns its focus toward the coming of autumn, back-to-school stories tend to proliferate in national and local media. One recurring ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Thursday, July 20, 2017 2:34 pm
Columns
‘Exact opposite of a conclusion’
On May 13 in front of more than 2,500 people, Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC) awarded degrees, diplomas and certificates to 1,303 students. For the ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Thursday, June 15, 2017 11:41 am
Columns
‘A critical shortage of nurses’
Florence Nightingale, the British nurse who founded the modern nursing profession, was born on May 12, 1820. While tending to the needs of wounded soldiers ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Thursday, May 18, 2017 3:24 pm
Columns
His thoughts on career planning
How many children have been asked the question, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” Some want to fight fires, some want ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Tuesday, May 9, 2017 10:26 am
Columns
Celebrating reading all year long
When people think of March festivities, they may envision green-themed parties for St. Patrick’s Day or looking forward to basketball madness. I like to remember ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Thursday, March 23, 2017 12:33 pm
Columns
Changing students’ lives
The end of the year and the holiday season have become inexorably linked with gift giving. Some gifts are purchased; some are homemade. Some get ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Thursday, December 15, 2016 11:04 am
Columns
Teamwork boosts SVCC hoops
Southside Virginia is home to some great athletes; sports participation is one important way young people can prepare for education opportunities and future employment. By ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Tuesday, November 15, 2016 2:00 pm
Columns
Community is their middle name
We are Southside Virginia Community College. “Southside Virginia” describes the geographic area we serve; “College” explains our function as an institution of postsecondary education; but ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Tuesday, October 18, 2016 2:24 pm
Columns
Answering the call
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, 19 people carried out suicide attacks against targets within the United States. Two airplanes smashed into the twin ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Tuesday, September 13, 2016 1:01 pm
Columns
Customized solutions aid in choices
The Model T was America’s first automobile priced for the middle class. In writing about it, industrialist Henry Ford quipped, “Any customer can have a ...
by Dr. Al Roberts, Tuesday, August 16, 2016 4:52 pm
Columns
Launch into life at community college
The reasons people choose to begin their postsecondary education careers at community colleges are as diverse as the things they go on to achieve. Regarding ...