Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 15, 1993 TAG: 9301150233
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
DRIVE FOR ROANOKE UNIVERSITY BEGINS
A grass-roots campaign has started to help drum up support for a public, four-year college or university in Roanoke.A citizens group using the slogan "Of Course! A University of Roanoke" has started contacting citizens around the Roanoke Valley about the idea.
One of the leaders in the campaign is Dan Frei, managing partner of The Scooter Group, a Roanoke-based advertising and consultant partnership.
Frei helped run Mayor David Bowers' campaign last spring. But he said Wednesday that Bowers is not involved in the campaign to build support for a state-supported college or university.
"In no way is he connected to this," Frei said. "It's something that several other people and I have started," he said, but he would not identify them.
Bowers confirmed that he's not a member of Frei's group. He said he's focused on reopening the Hotel Roanoke and enhancing the city's relationship with Virginia Tech.
He said a public four-year college for Roanoke might be something to consider in the future.
"There are a lot of good ideas, but there are always time and money constraints," Bowers said. "I'm going to continue to work to strengthen our link with Tech."
Vice Mayor Beverly Fitzpatrick said earlier this week that he is worried that talk of a four-year state school would weaken the city's ties with Virginia Tech.
On Wednesday, Councilman James Harvey said he, too, doesn't want to do anything that could hurt the city's relationship with Tech.
"We are working with Tech on the hotel right now and I'm not sure we should try to do too much on the idea of another school," Harvey said.
But Frei said a university in the Roanoke Valley "would enhance rather than hamper our relations with Virginia Tech, leading to further cooperation, dialogue and regional academic acclaim."
He said there appears to be growing sentiment that the city needs "not only the economic umbrella that a university located here can provide, but also the academic atmosphere that would infuse energy and vitality" into the valley.
The student body, faculty, staff and infrastructure, as well as the support enterprises required by a university, could help make the valley a more vibrant and dynamic community, he said.
The support of Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia and other schools would be needed for the idea to become a reality, Frei said.
Larry Hincker, director of university relations for Tech, said it's too early to say what position Tech might take on the idea.
"We don't have a position until we know more about it," Hincker said. "It's something we could talk about if the valley leaders want to."
Frei said the State Council of Higher Education has estimated an enrollment increase of 65,000 in state schools in the next decade.
"It would no doubt take five to 10 years to establish a university in the valley if we start today," he said.
He suggested that the medical facilities in the valley could become part of a medical college.
Frei said a university could become the valley's "foundation of the future" and would represent the kind of forward thinking advocated recently by David Goode, chairman of Norfolk Southern Corp.
Total Action Against Poverty this week asked the Roanoke Valley localities to join forces to seek a public four-year college in the valley.
Cabell Brand, president of TAP's board of directors, said he envisions the school as a cooperative venture that might include Virginia Tech and Virginia Western Community College, as well as Hollins College and Roanoke College, two private schools.