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1 A Look Back Celebrating 54 Years Since its inception on January 25 1978 the Richard Bland College RBC Foundation has done a superb job of fulfilling its mission to aid strengthen and extend the work goals and objectives of RBC. The Foundation connects with alumni individual donors corporations and philanthropic organizations who are passionate about RBC as the Commonwealths only selective residential two-year college with a singular focus on preparing students for transfer to highly-ranked universities including its parent the College of William and Mary. Thanks to their outpouring of support five years ago the RBC Foundation announced that its Campaign for the Future had generated over 5 million to support residence halls recreational facilities and scholarships. Since that time the College has continued to build on the strong foundation that was laid by those who came before. Like my predecessor Dr. James McNeer I believe that Thomas Jefferson got it right when he said I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past. Challenges and Opportunities Building on its proud history as a branch of the College of William and Mary RBC is providing students with new and exciting programs of study and advantageous pathways to Virginias big-brand universities all while keeping tuition low so that students can graduate debt-free. Maintaining pathways of opportunity for local citizens and contributing to regional economic and community development are RBCs primary challenges for the future. Succeeding in this endeavor is more important than ever. The Commonwealth must produce more college graduates to remain economically competitive and robust. The Colleges strategic planRBC-19 is laser-focused on answering that call. Over the past two years the College has added new market-driven programs in Logistics Project Management and most recently Equine Therapy. Thanks to the RBC Foundations vision and commitment to innovation a new 75-acre Equine Center opened in January 2015. This fall we welcomed more than 700 first-year students to campus the largest class in RBC history. In response to demand we have expanded residence halls. Some 400 students now reside in Freedom and Patriot Halls. To ensure that those students stay on the path to degree completion a Learner Mentor will act as a guide to ensure that students dont veer from their educational pathway. This unique and personal approach combined with a proactive alert system will help toward RBCs aspirational goal of 100 student success. Planning for the Future In 2012 ideas and feedback from area employers local citizens alumni students and employees informed the development of RBCs 2014-2019 Strategic Plan RBC-19. The plan includes aggressive goals focused on Increasing the number of students who successfully complete a degree or credential Strengthening the pipeline from secondary to post-secondary education and from the associates to the baccalaureate level Achieving financial sustainability to protect the Colleges core mission and maintain quality of academic programs instruction and student learning outcomes. Thank you for your continued support of our wonderful College. It is because of you our alumni friends and partners that Richard Bland College and its students are thriving. I invite you to visit campus browse our website at RBC.EDU or attend a campus event in the beautifully repurposed Social Sciences History and English building. Most importantly I invite you to play an active role in contributing to the Colleges success through your ongoing support as an ambassador and a friend of Richard Bland College. Sincerely Debbie L. Sydow Ph.D. President Presidents Message RBC.EDu