[7] The decline of the Appalachian coal mining industry in the 1950s had led to a need for a higher education institution.

[7] In the winter of 1954, the local community matched the commonwealth's funds and collected over $6,000 to furnish the classrooms and use for supplies.

[8] Clinch Valley College of the University of Virginia opened in September 1954 with an enrollment of 100 freshmen,[7] 2/3 of whom were Korean War veterans.

[7] In its early years, the college also acquired the building known now as Bowers-Sturgill Hall for use as faculty housing.

[7] By 1959, two new academic buildings, the Science Center and Zehmer Hall, and the new Greear gymnasium were under construction.

[9] New facilities from the early 2000s include Henson and Culbertson residence halls, the Slemp Student Center, a football field house and stadium seating, the new expanded library, the central lake, the Hunter J. Smith Dining Commons, the new Gilliam Center for the Arts, the $30 million David J.

The college also renovated and constructed an addition to the Leonard W. Sandridge Science Center; it is now LEED Silver certified.

[8] As of September 2010, the college offered 31 majors, 31 minors and 23 teaching specialties and had an enrollment of about 2,005 students.

[12] During his seven years as chancellor, the college experienced dramatic growth in student enrollment and facilities.

[17] It is approximately 52 miles (84 kilometers) from Kingsport, Tennessee and 48.5 mi (78.1 km) from Pikeville, Kentucky.

[citation needed] Crockett and Bowers-Sturgill Halls are two examples of a regionally-distinct architecture: simple buildings of local sandstone with shallow-pitched hip roofs and pronounced overhangs.

[18] The series of small buildings on Clinch Valley Drive, some of which had been transported to the school in the 1960s, have been slowly supplanted by larger student residence halls.

[28] The general education curriculum was recently redesigned, which involved a lessening of the hour requirement.

[32] It is also developing an MSN program, and SACSCOC recently visited the campus to complete a change of level of its accreditation.

Since moving to NCAA Division II in 2013, the school has claimed conference titles in softball and men's golf.

[40] As of 2012[update], the college broadcasts student news on channel 55, a public access cable station, under the call sign CAV-TV.