Higher ed partnership gets new identity

The Cape Girardeau Partnership for Higher Education now will be known as Cape College Center, following the adoption of its new moniker by the partnership's advisory board Monday.

Housed in the Career and Technology Center in Cape Girardeau, the center is made up of Southeast Missouri State University, Three Rivers College and Mineral Area College.

The name change has been in the works for about a year, as advisory board members wanted something more marketable.

Presidents of the three institutions reached a consensus quickly. Branding details are still being worked out, but the partnership will operate as it always has, said Jonathan Atwood, coordinator of Media Services at Three Rivers College.

" ... I think you're going to find this is a partnership that's going to work and serve the constituencies here in Cape Girardeau and Scott County and others," said Southeast president Kenneth Dobbins.

Mineral Area College president Steve Kurtz and Three Rivers College chief Wes Payne agreed.

"I would say that the name change ... is going to have a positive impact. It's going to make it more marketable and more memorable. I agree with both Dr. Kurtz and Dr. Dobbins that it reflects what we're all about. I think we are now all three committed to fully and cooperatively working together to meet the needs of students, and that's the main focus of everything all three ... institutions do," Payne said.

The partnership offers an associate of arts degree and 14 associate of applied science degree options, from automotive collision technology to physical therapy.

Mineral Area handles the associate of applied science classes, so tuition for those is paid directly to that school, officials said.

Southeast and Three Rivers split the general education courses, so they also split the tuition on those, officials have said.

Gerald McDougall, associate provost-Extended and Online Learning, reviewed enrollment, residence, credit hour and class size statistics. He noted a jump in students using the state's A+ Scholarship to attend the center.

The A+ program provides scholarship funds to eligible high school graduates who attend a participating public community college or vocational/technical school, or certain private two-year vocational/technical schools.

On a separate matter, Jim Limbaugh, executive vice president for planning and business development at SoutheastHEALTH, was named to the board, replacing Mary Burton-Hitt.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

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