Virginia Peninsula Community College (VPCC) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...

with two campuses in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

, one in Hampton and the other in James City County. It also has two education centers The Southeast Higher Education Center in Newport News and the Williamsburg Discovery Center in Williamsburg. It is part of the Virginia Community College System. It mostly serves students living on the Peninsula region of Hampton Roads, but it also has students from other parts of southeastern Virginia. The College adopted its current name in July 2022, having formerly been known as Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC) since its inception. The decision to rename the college was approved by the Virginia State Board for Community Colleges in September 2021.

History

The college was originally named after

Thomas Nelson, Jr. Thomas Nelson Jr. (December 26, 1738 – January 4, 1789) was an American Founding Father, soldier and statesman from Yorktown, Virginia. In addition to serving in the Virginia General Assembly for many terms, he twice represented Virginia in ...

(December 26, 1738 – January 4, 1789), who was an American planter, soldier, and statesman from

Yorktown, Virginia Yorktown is a census-designated place (CDP) in York County, Virginia. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1682. Yorktown's population was 195 as of the 2010 census, while York Co ...

. He is regarded as one of the U.S. Founding Fathers, since he signed the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...

as a member of the Virginia delegation. He served as

Governor of Virginia The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the head of government of Virginia for a four-year term. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin, was sworn in on January 15, 2022. Oath of office On inauguration day, the Governor-elect takes t ...

in 1781.

Nelson County, Virginia Nelson County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,775. Its county seat is Lovingston. Nelson County is part of the Charlottesville, VA Metropolitan Statistica ...

, and

Nelson County, Kentucky Nelson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 48,065. Its county seat is Bardstown. Nelson County comprises the Bardstown, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also include ...

, are also named in his honor. The construction of VPCC began in August 1967. Four buildings were planned for construction, and the cornerstone was laid in December 1967. More than 1,200 Students began classes on September 20, 1968, and the first class of students graduated with associate degrees on June 13, 1970. In 2014, the school faced a lawsuit from student Christian Parks related to the right to speak freely in public on campus at a conversational level on certain topics. The lawsuit cited 41 violations in the school's policy. The ACLU and the ACLJ supported the lawsuit. In summer 2020 the Virginia State Board for Community Colleges approached multiple colleges and recommended that they review their names to determine if they were appropriate and inclusive. The following year the college's Local Advisory Board determined that the name needed to be changed, as Thomas Nelson, Jr. was a slaveholder. In September 2021 the name Virginia Peninsula Community College was recommended as a replacement for Thomas Nelson Community College; it was approved by the State Board later that same month. Two buildings on the campus, Griffin and Wythe, will be renamed as they were named after associates of Nelson. The decision was made to not rename three other buildings with similar names as, at the time, they were due to be demolished and replaced. This decision marked Thomas Nelson as the fourth such institution to rename themselves during 2021.

Academics

VPCC offers 50 associate degree programs and has over 60 certificate programs.

Athletics

Virginia Peninsula Community College competes in the Carolinas Junior College Conference of the NJCAA's Division III. Sports offered include baseball, men and women's basketball, beach volleyball, softball as well as intramural sports such as flag football and basketball.

Notable alumni

* Gordon Helsel, former member of the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

and former mayor of Poquoson, Virginia * Jess Kersey, former basketball referee in

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, leading to four ...

(ABA) and

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United ...

(NBA) * Jeion Ward, member of the

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Virginia Community College System Education in Hampton, Virginia Education in James City County, Virginia Educational institutions established in 1968 1968 establishments in Virginia