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Prince William Celebrates Three Significant Events on Sept. 18
By Patty Snellings
The Prince William Campus is throwing a party on Sept. 18 to celebrate three
landmark events: a kickoff for the higher education bond referendum campaign,
a ground breaking ceremony for Academic IIIA, and the campus’ fifth anniversary.
“We’re moving to the next plateau, and this celebration is a milestone
of a remarkable five years,” says Larry Czarda, vice president for operations,
Prince William.
The theme of the celebration is “Building Virginia’s Future.”
In addition to university administrators, invited guests and speakers include
members of the Virginia General Assembly and Manassas/Prince William County area
government, education, and business leaders. The festivities begin at 10:30 a.m.
behind Prince William I. In case of rain, the program will be moved to the Verizon
Auditorium. An anniversary cake heads a menu of refreshments and other activities,
and members of the university community are encouraged to attend. Fact sheets
outlining the bond referendum also will be available. For additional information
about the celebration, call x38376.
“We have an obligation to educate citizens in Northern Virginia and
throughout Virginia about the need for educational facilities to support the growth
in student enrollment,” explains Randall Edwards, executive vice president.
“Getting the bond referendum passed is critical.”
Funds for construction of Academic IIIA come from a “jump-start”
program authorized by the Virginia College Building Authority. Plans call for
1,243 classroom seats, making the capacity of this single building larger than
many small colleges in Virginia. The 100,000-square-foot facility is expected
to open in fall 2004 and also will house teaching labs, a computer center that
never closes, and an area telework center, which currently is located at Lockheed
Martin’s Manassas facility.
Czarda notes that the edge of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area continues
to push westward as new industries and recreation and entertainment facilities
move into the Manassas/Prince William County area. “This surge of economic
development offers tremendous opportunities for growth and programming at the
Prince William Campus,” he says, “as well as the potential for forging
academic and research partnerships with our corporate neighbors.”
“The next five years will see even more growth and change at the Prince
William Campus,” Edwards says. “With the expansion of life sciences
and biodefense activities, as well as additional programs in the arts and sciences,
business, and information technology, the potential is immense.”
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