Three Rivers looking to expand Sikeston campus

Dr. Devin Stephenson, president of Three Rivers Community College at Poplar Bluff, Mo., speaks at a recent community reception at Jackson City Hall. (Fred Lynch) [Click to enlarge]

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Three Rivers Community College is looking to expand its Sikeston center -- but first it needs to find a new, bigger location.

With about 300 students, Sikeston is the biggest satellite center the college has, but there is potential for more growth, perhaps doubling enrollment, said Devin Stephenson, Three Rivers president. He was the speaker at Thursday's monthly luncheon of the Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce.

"We just need to relocate to a higher-profile area with more parking," Stephenson said.

Leaders are looking to rent a building that is 7,000 to 10,000 square feet, can be expanded if needed and has high-speed Internet access, he said.

Stephenson became Three Rivers' president July 1. He spoke Thursday about what's happening at the college and the course he sees for it.

Although college presidents are usually seen as fundraisers, Stephenson said he also wants to be a "friend-raiser."

"We cannot be successful if we are encapsulated on the property our campus is on," Stephenson said. So as much as he tries to raise funds and do other duties as president, he also works to familiarize himself with the communities and businesses, to form partnerships with them.

"Whenever communities are recruiting new businesses, or companies are looking to expand, Three Rivers wants to be there at the table," he said. "Partnerships are very, very important to us."

Recently, there have been two examples of this. Three Rivers entered into an agreement with Orgill in Sikeston earlier this month for the New Jobs Training Program, in which Three Rivers will provide about $600,000 in training to Orgill employees, Stephenson said. The training will focus on employee skills and retention.

Earlier, on Sept. 30, Three Rivers entered into a partnership with Noranda Aluminum in which the college will provide close to $2 million in work-force training, primarily focusing on retention, Stephenson said.

But Stephenson isn't only focused on forging community partnerships. He's also looking to future education needs. That's why Gov. Jay Nixon will visit the Poplar Bluff campus Friday.

"We're going to talk about what we can do in Southeast Missouri to have an attractive, efficient work force," Stephenson said. "If we're going to be competitive, it's all about middle-level skills."

For instance, the health care industry is exploding, and more and more nurses and health care workers are needed. Three Rivers helps fill that need with the LPN-RN bridge program.

In addition to expanding its Sikeston center, Three Rivers is looking to add new centers to the ones in Malden, Kennett, Portageville and Campbell.

Last week, Stephenson said he met with Dr. Ken Dobbins, president of Southeast Missouri State University, and said it appears the kinks are ironed out and the two will partner to bring a community college to Cape Girardeau.

Also, after being courted by the city of Jackson for about three years, negotiations are underway to open a service center there, too.

State and federal funding remains strong, as Stephenson and his staff have delivered on their promise of being aggressive in courting grants. "It's the only way to grow the college," he said.

One grant, totaling about $2.75 million, will be used to establish a "green" technology station in Dexter. "And we will eventually expand that," Stephenson said.

In the local economy, institutions such as Three Rivers appear to be flourishing.

"This is the golden age of community colleges," Stephenson said. Enrollment at Three Rivers is up 13 percent this year, while several four-year universities are facing a decline in enrollment.

"People say these local colleges are more affordable, and then they transfer," Stephenson said.

This year's operating budget is about $18 million, and the added enrollment suggest next year's will be about $20 million. Based on the ripple effect, that means Three Rivers invests about $108 million in the communities it serves, Stephenson said.

Pertinent address:

1 Industrial Drive, Sikeston, MO