Students returning to Rappahannock Community College in the coming weeks will be greeted with multi-million dollar renovations, just one example of the many changes the school embarks on as it celebrates its 40th anniversary.

Thanks to a 2005 Virginia state bond referendum, the school has been able to complete $11 million worth of renovations to buildings at its Glenns and Warsaw campuses, according to RCC President Elizabeth "Sissy" Crowther. "We haven’t had a renovation of this magnitude ever," she said.

The project is focused on improving service to the college’s student body, with renovations to the student commons and collaborative study areas, Crowther said.

Major renovations are also being completed on the student lounge, to make that area more appealing to students, she said. Entrances to each campus will feature fresh architectural design as well.

Renovations are being done in two phases, each occurring simultaneously at the school&...