Editorial

Community college

Monday, June 18, 2007

The idea of starting a community college in Cape Girardeau has been circulating in the city's coffee klatches and in discussions among business leaders for years. It's finally coming out into the open.

The director of the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center hosted a meeting last week with superintendents and principals from 11 school districts and two private school to discuss the feasibility.

Cape Girardeau businessman Earl Norman and banker Steve Taylor are championing the idea of expanding the center into a community college. They say a community college would help low-income students afford the first two years of post-secondary schooling and provide training in medical technology and other fields local students now must go elsewhere to get.

Southeast Missouri State University clearly has been trying to head off a community college by creating its higher education centers in Kennett, Malden, Sikeston and Perryville. University president Dr. Ken Dobbins has questioned the need for another college.

The unanswerable question at this point is whether enough high school graduates would enroll in a community college, which undoubtedly would be expensive to build and maintain.

The idea faces many hurdles. The Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education would have to approve the plan, as would local voters, who would be asked to create a taxing district. The need would have to be established through a survey.

The Missouri Department of Economic Development and the University of Missouri are planning a study on the need for post-secondary education and job training. The results of that study could give the community college idea a big push -- or send it back to the coffee klatches.

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my son goes to Mineral Area College in Park Hills due to the fact that the tution is so much cheaper and he feels he is getting all the basic requirements done at a lower price and class is less crowded then SEMO. MAC classes are offered at several different locations, like the career ctr and perryville and fredericktown. now my son has two years under his belt at less the price and can transfer all of it to SEMO to finish up. Smartest thing we did, Park Hills is not that far especially when he schedules everthing just Tuesdays and Thursdays.

-- Posted by yellowrose on Mon, Jun 18, 2007, at 1:24 PM
Again, why is SEMO so afaid of competition? I really don't think a lot of the jobs in Cape or Southeast Missouri require a four-year degree. Nevertheless, there is a need for skills beyond a High School diploma or GED. Likewise, not every person can travel to Mineral Area or Three Rivers. Cape and the surrounding areas need a community college. It might even benefit SEMO by having smaller class sizes in its "required" courses that all students need to get a diploma.

-- Posted by nolongerlivingthere on Mon, Jun 18, 2007, at 6:25 PM
To: Michael J. Ballou

I am hopping that when you said Southeast Missouri Community College that it was just a typo. Last time I checked it was a State University? Crazy how those things work.

Back to what you were saying about paying for all of Southeast Missouri State University's endeavors, you pay for all the state universities in Missouri! Like it or not you do. Yes you might be a little upset that the Showme Center was built, but guess what that Showme center actually brings some entertainment to this whole area.

Oh yes. I forgot to mention I am a SEMO student from around St. Louis. Now there are community colleges around where I live. But I chose to get away from my community and attend a "STATE UNIVERSITY" which would so happen to be located in Cape Girardeau. Now let me introduce a little known fact to you about Southeast Student population, there are over 10,000 students that attend classes. Now granted a majority of them are from Southeast Missouri, as well a large majority are from IL and Other parts of Missouri along with the rest of the nation and world. Now you can be upset about all the improvements and you needing to pay for them. But do not underestimate the money these students bring to your precious conservative Cape Girardeau.

"Dancing and prancing palace" That was very clever. Just to let you know that dancing and prancing palace actually improved a part of your Cape Girardeau that was in dire shape of re modeling. Also that little palace will attract more diverse students to attend southeast and remember what more students mean? More money for your community. Good day.

-- Posted by soccerguy010 on Tue, Jun 19, 2007, at 5:47 PM

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