Community college coalition delays recommendation

Negotiations are continuing as business and education leaders develop a plan to provide community college service in Cape Girardeau County.

The community college coalition came together Thursday in a meeting organizers hoped would result in a recommendation to the Coordinating Board for Higher Education.

Preliminary meetings between the involved educational institutions delayed the discussion. The coalition will meet again Oct. 6 to see if a joint recommendation can be made, said John Mehner, president of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce.

The last time the group met, there were two proposals, a joint plan from Southeast Missouri State University and Mineral Area College and another from Three Rivers Community College.

"They were charged to talk to each other and see if they could put forward a common proposal," said Dr. Robert Stein, the commissioner of higher education.

The presidents of the three institutions have met since to discuss other options. Stein would not address the specific challenges affecting negotiations but said the presidents were handling problems with miscommunication.

"There's always challenges doing collaborative work and figuring out who is going to do what," he said. "That's natural."

Southeast president Dr. Ken Dobbins said there was a disagreement over which institution would grant the associate of arts degree.

"We're already addressing the needs of many of those students, and we want them to have our degree," he said.

So far, he said, discussions have included a center with joint admission to Southeast and Three Rivers. Southeast systems would handle admissions, financial aid and billing. Mineral Area would continue to offer associate of applied science programs at the Career Center. Southeast and Mineral Area would split general education courses, Dobbins said.

He said he will continue to meet with Three Rivers president Dr. Devin Stephenson to develop more details of the arrangement.

"I hope that we'll have the conceptual proposal ironed out," Dobbins said. "Enough that we can go forward and ask for [our board[']s] advice and their approval."

He said they have not discussed the location of a joint center during their meetings.

The coalition has been meeting since 2007 to address higher education issues in the county.

When they met last month, Dobbins proposed a center near West Park Mall that would be ready by fall 2010. The proposal, modeled after the Perryville Higher Education Center, also included participation from Mineral Area and the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center.

Three Rivers also proposed a center and has been in contact with Jackson city officials. The Jackson Board of Aldermen approved a 15-acre land donation if the college locates there. Stephenson has said the college could convert a facility on U.S. 61 near Interstate 55 by January. Monday, the board of aldermen also approved a community reception for Stephenson on Oct. 13.

Stein said coalition members are committed to moving forward soon.

"I think everybody was reminded that time is crucial," he said.

Stephenson did not return calls for comment Thursday.

abusch@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

One University Plaza, Cape Girardeau, MO

2080 Three Rivers Blvd., Poplar Bluff, MO