The Virginia Tidewater Consortium for Higher Education (VTC) includes four community colleges, four public colleges and universities, four private colleges and a National Defense University. Established in 1973, the Virginia Tidewater Consortium enhances the educational opportunities for nearly 150,000 students.
The mission of the Virginia Tidewater Consortium helps develop and share ideas, information, programs and resources to achieve its goals, which include promoting cooperation and collaboration among its member institutions to serve the people of the Tidewater region through higher education and related services. The VTC functions independently of any one institution to serve all its members.
Here are some distinctive areas of cooperation that I wish to call to your attention:
Cross-Registration (
Students may register on a credit or audit basis at another consortium institution for courses not offered in the current semester at their home institution.
Articulation Agreements
All four-year consortium institutions recognize A.A. and A.S. degrees from community colleges as fulfilling lower division academic requirements.
Cooperative Degree Programs
Designated degree programs offered cooperatively by two or more consortium institutions (i.e. The VWC/ODU engineering agreement).
Faculty Development
The Consortium offers Faculty Development throughout the year for the improvement of teaching and learning. Faculty members also participate in academic exchange programs throughout the year.
Educational Opportunity Center
The Consortium sponsors the federally-funded Educational Opportunity Center, which is a program that provides academic, career and financial aid information to adults seeking to participate in higher education.
Library Services
The Consortium provides seamless interlibrary exchange. Students and faculty may check out library materials from another member institution’s library by using the Consortium’s borrowing card. The Consortium provides a courier service for the transportation of library materials among the institutions.
These are a few of the many collaborations available through the Consortium. This is another great resource available as a Coastal Virginia institution. I encourage you to fully explore applicable opportunities.
