Coalition meets to discuss community college

Stakeholders took the first step Thursday to settling the recurring question of whether Cape Girardeau County needs a junior college.

Eleven people pledging money to conduct a needs analysis met to discuss the scope of the study. They want to know what higher educational and work force needs exist in Cape Girardeau County, citizens¹ interests, and what programs

are already offered. They would also like to see an evaluation of possible solutions.

Areas beyond Cape Girardeau County will be included in the study, and coalition members hope to hire a company to conduct interviews and review data by early February.

In the process, Dr. Robert Stein, commissioner for higher education, continually stressed that coalition members would be expected to

play nice.

"There are a number of vested interests... are we all prepared to agree that we may not like the answers that come?" Stein asked.

Stakeholders include Three Rivers Community College, which wants to open an education center in Cape Girardeau; Mineral Area College, which already offers vocational classes through the Career and Technology Center; and

Southeast Missouri State University, which wants to protect its student base.