EWC trustees express concern over community college split

EWC trustees express concern over community college split
 
By Andrew D. Brosig
Torrington Telegram
Via Wyoming News Exchange
 
TORRINGTON – Eastern Wyoming College trustees on Monday expressed shared concerns over a proposed split in the Northern Wyoming Community College District. 
Responding to the announcement earlier this year Gillette College and Sheridan College would drop athletics programs in light of ever-shrinking budgets, some residents in Gillette proposed a division of the district into two separate colleges. At least one EWC trustee was worried this week what the creation of a new community college in Wyoming could mean, financially, for the existing seven colleges, including EWC. 
“The community college (financial) pie in Wyoming is of a fixed size,” trustee John Patrick told the board during a special meeting Monday. 
Patrick said he was concerned about the future “financial ability to fund higher education. I don’t see how (formation of a separate community college) could do anything else but hurt every other community college in the state. The state’s financial resources are shrinking.” 
This is not the first time the idea of a separate community college in northern Wyoming – specifically Gillette – has been floated, trustee Mike Varney said. When he worked at the college from 1968-1978, the idea was proposed “at least two or three times. 
“I went with the (EWC) president to the hearings in Cheyenne,” Varney said. “I remember the legislators saying vehemently they will only support seven community colleges. Now here we are again at the same thing. 
“This boils down to two things – we have a fiduciary duty to our college,” he said. “If you take another college and add it in and the money stays the same, there will be eight dividing it. That’s not fair.” 
Patrick presented copies of prepared statements to the board. Though declining to provide a copy of his statement to The Telegram, pending board action, he did summarize his thoughts. 
After reviewing the Gillette College application and proposal to the Wyoming Community College Commission, Patrick said it does not contain anything unique that would warrant the addition of an eighth community college to the financial pool in the state. The proposal contains no additional courses or programs that aren’t already offered in the state, Patrick said, and a new college in Gillette wouldn’t meet any educational needs that are currently not being met elsewhere. 
Further, declining populations in the state’s secondary schools indicate the current seven community colleges in the state should be more than sufficient to provide for student populations in the future. The addition of an eighth community college to the mix would probably dilute that already-shrinking pool of students EWC and the other community colleges in the state have to draw from. 
“That tells me there is no unmet or future need for another community college,” Patrick said. “If they become a community college, they will recruit students. I see them doing that at our expense.” 
And financial information on how the proposed college would be funded, if approved, is “rather rosy,” he said.
 “They would have us believe they can become one, independent community college and it will cost the state no additional money,” he said. “I do not believe that.” 
The board took no formal action, beyond accepting and praising Patrick’s written statement. EWC President Lesley Travers, Ph.D., as of Monday, was in the process of drafting a letter, reportedly addressing specific questions on the Gillette College proposal at the request of the Wyoming Community College Commission.