Patrick Henry CC changes schedule due to gas prices

At Patrick Henry Community College, students are working out the math for their tests and for their commute. Starting this fall, half the classes offered will meet two days a week instead of three, making the classes longer but saving students an extra day of driving. For example, classes that normally meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for 50 minutes, would now meet Monday and Wednesday for 75 minutes each.

Bob Clary is a dean at the school and says the new schedule would still allow students to have a full course load for two days at the campus. He said all the schedule changes took a lot of planning, but was an idea in the works for months.

“Late last fall towards the beginning of the year when they started moving from the two dollar range to the two and a half [dollar range],” said Clary.

It’s an option for students who want to attend class in-person instead of online.

Many students are from Martinsville and Henry County and don’t have to travel too far. But Clary says there are commuters who travel as far away as Danville, Rocky Mount, and Roanoke, especially the professors.

Marti Robertson teaches information technology and had to make the move years ago.

“I had driven daily from the lake and decided ‘ok.’ I said ‘I have to see about buying another car or living in Martinsville,’” Robertson said.

Although she already planned her classes twice a week before the announcement of the college’s schedule change, she’s happy about the new policy because it will help more people.

Ten On Your Side did the math to see how much someone would save. A commuter from Danville would save about 60 miles roundtrip per week. On a car averaging 25 miles per gallon, he or she would save about 38 gallons per semester. After filling up a tank at $3.99, that adds up to savings of about $153 a semester.

“I think it is something we’re gonna continue for a long time,” said Clay.

At least until the math averages out to lower gas prices. 

Also, a spokeswoman for the college says the summer enrollment rose 16%.  One reason, they believe, is students at 4-year colleges are taking advantage of summer classes at PHCC. A new summer scheduling method condensed the summer to two 5-week sessions included in the regular 10-week summer session. As a result, students are able to take two classes, such as English 111 for the first five weeks and 112 for the second five weeks.

The school also saw a 133% increase in their Trade Act students.

“We’ve seen an increase in our Trade Act enrollment because of layoffs and downsizing at some of the local plants- Stanley Furniture, Hooker, and Ridgeway Clocks,” said Kris Landrum.

The college also saw a slight increase in out-of-state students.