Campaign Priorities

• Auto Technical
• Diesel Mechanics
• Forestry Technician
• Heavy Equipment Operation
• Mining Technology-Surface
• Mining Technology-Underground
• Water and Waste Water Management
• Survey Technician

• Cosmetology
• Dental Hygiene
• EMT-Mining
• Forensics
• Mortuary Science
• Occupational Therapy Assistant
• Physical Therapy Assistant
• Respiratory Therapy Technician
• Medical Assistant

• Social Work Technician

• Medical Billing and Coding

• Adult Leadership Certifications
• Artisan/Craft Incubators and Retail Shops
• Youth Leadership Academy
• Youth Entrepreneurship Training

• Portable stage for multiple performance use
• Seating in a riser configuration as well as loose seating
• Green Room with dressing and storage areas
• Shop area for set construction and storage
• Art Gallery
• Appalachian artisan display area

• Business start-up and incubator space
• Business and industry training rooms
• Conference/meeting rooms
• Appalachian Craft Shop
• Small dining area with kitchen

Southern is keenly aware of the need to offer a quality education at an affordable cost to the residents of the communities it serves. Southern has continued to hold tuition and fee increases to a minimum and maintains the lower tuition and fees among all institutions of higher education in the state. Seventy-five percent of Southern's students enrolled during the 2002-2003 academic year were eligible for needs-based financial assistance. Ninety-three percent of these received some type of financial aid. Currently, Southern is only able to meet 62% of each eligible student's financial aid. Southern's goal is to raise $3,500,000 for student financial assistance programs allowing the institution to increase the amount of student need met from 62% to 75%.

The four main campuses have served us well, but are in need of on-going maintenance and renewal. Providing and maintaining the quality of our facilities is of prime importance to the continued high value of the investment of West Virginia and the local citizenry.

The Academy for Mine Training and Energy Technologies is being established to meet the training needs specifically for the mining industry and the energy sector as a whole. To meet the energy industry's needs today, new programs are required to train energy production workers at all levels. These include general laborer to mine foreman for underground operations and heavy equipment operators for surface mining. Also needed in the natural gas industry are gas well tenders, drillers, and delivery workers. The electric power companies need trained technicians. The training infrastructure will be updated to include credit, noncredit, and nontraditional delivery systems to meet the requirements of the industry. The first phases of training at the Academy will focus on mining, with traditional classroom certification instruction and equipment operation training in a simulated environment.

In order for Southern to attract and retain quality students and to remain competitive, a comprehensive marketing campaign must be initiated. Southern must rely on private money to launch the type of marketing effort needed to inform the various constituencies - recent high school graduates, adult students age 25 and older, and the private business sector of the programs and services available to them.