Finding the perfect recipe for a college campus makeover that both stimulates the mind and the local economy while safeguarding the history and culture of the school and region is no easy task.  Ferrum College President, Dr. Jennifer Braaten, certainly makes it appear effortless - on the surface only of course.

When thinking of Ferrum College, located in Franklin County, Virginia, most people mistakenly assume that it rests on a small campus.  However the college boasts over 800 acres and is bursting with regional culture.  Founded in 1913, Ferrum is an "applied liberal arts" institution and houses the Blue Ridge Institute, a state repository of Blue Ridge Culture and home of the annual Ferrum College FolkLife Festival, and the Blue Ridge Dinner Theater, home of the Jack Tale Players, the longest running Children's Theater in Virginia.  In addition, Ferrum is a major stop along the Crooked Road, a state designated tourism trail that highlights Bluegrass and Virginia's music heritage. 

Braaten was struck by the splendor of the Blue Ridge Mountains when she decided to come on board at Ferrum in 2002.  The combined history and beauty of the campus intrigued her, and appealed to her background as a history professor, as well as her passion for the mission of the College.  She became determined to preserve both in her quest to better the College for Ferrum students and residents of the area.

Braaten uses three Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of Ferrum College.  These are student enrollment and retention, student success and graduation rate, and financial viability/physical plant issues.  She believe that all three KPIs are webbed together, each one supporting the next.  If one fails, the others will collapse.

Currently, Ferrum is a 4-year institution, but Braaten hopes to offer graduate programs in the future.  The fall 2006 enrollment is one of the highest in many years and the campus is becoming more modern every day.  Braaten has not forgotten the College's history in her quest for modernization; she meshes traditional with contemporary, practical with theoretical, creating a memorable and effective campus experience.

Anderson & Associates has worked closely with Braaten on her quest for modernization, including work on the engineering and planning related to water and sewer improvements in Ferrum.  She says, "I have a high regard for Anderson & Associates, and their vision."  Braaten is generous about sharing much of the success of her bold ventures with others.  Franklin County, the local business community, the Roanoke Valley, the USDA, and the Tobacco Commission have all been major players in bringing her ideas to life.  She likes to repeat the saying, "if we work together all boats will rise," and these words certainly seem to be bearing fruit.