Brightpoint Community College, one of the largest institutions in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), opens doors to life-changing opportunities through high-value education, in-demand programs and connections with employers. The college is committed to providing an environment where all feel welcomed and supported and have the opportunity to succeed in their academic and professional pursuits. Brightpoint offers transfer- and career-focused majors, student support services, and workforce training programs that are as diverse as its student body and service region.
Brightpoint primarily serves the residents of the cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell and Petersburg, as well as the counties of Amelia, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Prince George, Surry and Sussex.
Brightpoint operates under policies established by the State Board for Community Colleges and by the institution’s College Board. It is financed by student tuition and state funds, supplemented by contributions from the 10 localities in its service region.
History of the College
Brightpoint Community College, originally named John Tyler Community College, opened the doors of its Chester Campus in Chesterfield County, on October 2, 1967, as a result of the 1964 passage of legislation establishing two-year technical colleges across the Commonwealth of Virginia. To meet the increasing needs of the service region, the college began offering classes at different sites within the Midlothian area of Chesterfield County in 1981. In May 2000, the college’s Midlothian Campus opened at its permanent site. In the years since, the college has broadened its offerings to include a robust blend of on-and off-campus, online and hybrid classes and services. During the 2023-2024 academic year, Brightpoint served 10,097 students through its for-credit majors. More information about the college’s history may be found on Brightpoint’s website.
Institutional Purpose
College Mission
Brightpoint Community College provides quality educational opportunities that inspire student success and community vitality.
College Vision
A success story for every student.
College Goals
- Student Success: Prepare students with the knowledge, skills, credentials, and degrees to become successful in dynamic, high-demand, and emerging careers.
- Forging the Path: Cultivate connections and develop ways to expand the talent pipeline in our service region.
- Serving Today’s Learners: Deliver premier educational offerings to today’s learners, and promote professional excellence and high-impact instructional practices.
- Culture of Care: Support the diverse needs of our students through a culture of care.
- Affordable Access and Sustainability: Invest in improving access to an affordable college education for our students while supporting the vitality and sustainability of our college.
VCCS Code of Ethics
Brightpoint’s faculty and staff also abide by the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Code of Ethics:
- We are committed to learning environments that foster academic integrity.
- We will foster in all disciplines a mutual respect and openness for the freedom of responsible student thought, research, and discussion on all sides of academic issues to facilitate balanced and thorough academic analysis for all participants.
- We will be good stewards of our resources and make effective and efficient use of them, thereby ensuring accountability to the Commonwealth and to the communities we serve.
- We will maintain the confidentiality and security of information entrusted to us and share information only when authorized or required by law to do so.
- We will not accept any gift, favor, loan, service, business or professional opportunity from anyone knowing (or when it should be known) that it is offered in order to improperly influence the performance of our public duties. We will avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.
- We will offer good faith and fair dealings to all those we serve and to each other. Our communications will be civil and professional.
- We will offer employment opportunities in accordance with State, Federal and System policies supporting the rights and recognizing the needs of all citizens regardless of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.
- We encourage and expect all members of the community to act in good faith and bring to the attention of the appropriate official any violation or potential violation of these principles.
Purpose of the Virginia Community College System
The basic purposes of the comprehensive community college, as prescribed by the General Assembly of Virginia in the Community College Act of 1966, are to prepare students for employment, for advanced collegiate education and for improved citizenship. In accordance with this purpose, the College offers the following:
- Freshman and sophomore courses for transfer to baccalaureate degree programs-the Associate of Arts, Associate of Fine Arts, and Associate of Science degrees;
- Occupational and technical programs leading to the Associate of Applied Science and the Associate of Applied Arts degrees;
- Vocational education leading directly to employment -Certificates and Career Studies Certificates; and
- Courses in general and continuing education in all fields.
Career and Education Consortium (CEC)
The Career and Education Consortium (CEC) coordinates ongoing collaboration between Brightpoint, public school divisions, employers, universities, state and local government and the community-at-large to offer high-quality academic programs and career preparation for all students in the region. The CEC provides professional development for educators, markets college and career preparation, and serves the counties of Amelia, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Prince George, Surry and Sussex and the cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell and Petersburg. Please visit the Career and Education Consortium page on the college website for additional information.
Accreditations
Brightpoint Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees, certificates, and career studies certificates. Questions about the accreditation of Brightpoint Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
The Emergency Medical Services Program is approved by the Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services.
The Funeral Services Associate Degree Program at Brightpoint Community College is accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE), 992 Mantua Puke, Suite 108, Woodbury Heights, NJ 08097, (816) 233-3747, website, and is approved by the Commonwealth of Virginia Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers.
The Nurse Aide Program is approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing.
The AAS Nursing Program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, Georgia 30326. ACEN can be contacted by phone: 404-975-5000, by email or web. The program was last approved in July 2018. There are no accreditation stipulations. The registered nursing program is approved by the Virginia State Board of Nursing, Perimeter Center, 9960 Maryland Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23233-1463, (804) 367-4515.
The Brightpoint Community College Paramedic Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).
The Precision Machining Technology Program is accredited by the National Institute for Metalworking Skills, Inc. (NIMS).
The Welding Program is accredited by the American Welding Society (AWS) Schools Excelling through National Skills Standards Education (SENSE) program.
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