News Release
Published: May 6, 2008

Read the news release below

Martinsville-area residents can now complete an undergraduate degree from James Madison University.

JMU Outreach Programs has formed a partnership with the New College Institute, an institution that provides access to higher education through partnerships with colleges and universities.

“After assessing the community, NCI felt that offering JMU’s Adult Degree Program would meet the educational needs and interests of Martinsville residents,” said Carol Fleming, director of Outreach Programs. JMU’s Adult Degree Program is for adults age 25 and older looking to complete a degree. In Martinsville, the degree track will focus on the social sciences, i.e. political science, public administration, history and economics, Fleming said. JMU will deliver instruction both on-site and through new distance-learning technologies.

“We are very pleased to welcome JMU as a partner at NCI,” said Barry Dorsey, NCI’s Executive Director.  “JMU was one of the original institutions involved in establishing NCI as a bachelor’s-completion and master’s degree institution, so it is very appropriate that it offer a program here,” Dorsey said.

“The new program will enable an adult who has accumulated credit hours from one or several institutions to apply those credits toward a degree.  It also provides the student an opportunity to get credit for life experience through developing a portfolio of accomplishments.  Because of these features, I predict the program will quickly become extremely popular among Martinsville-Henry County residents and others throughout Southside,” Dorsey added.

For more information about JMU, contact Jamie Marsh in JMU’s Office of Public Affairs at 540-568-4908 or by e-mail .

For more information about NCI, contact Dr. Barry Dorsey at 276-403-5601 or .