SHAWNEE SET TO CONDUCT COURSES HERE

Cape Girardeau doesn't have a junior college, but this fall it will have two community colleges classes.

Shawnee Community College at Ullin, Ill., will offer two freshman-level courses in Cape Girardeau: English composition and intermediate algebra.

The night classes will be held at either the Cape Girardeau Vocational-Technical School or at Cape Central High School.

The college also will offer a freshman-level psychology class at Kelly High School at Benton.

All three classes begin in late September. Each will meet for three hours once weekly during the fall semester.

Students can register in Cape Girardeau and Benton on Sept. 21 from 6-8 p.m.

"Because of our increasing enrollment of Missouri students, we have seen there really is a demand there," said Tom Riechman, Shawnee's public relations director.

The late start of the sessions is ideal for students who drop out of other schools early in the school year, he said.

The school district will provide the classroom space and Shawnee College will provide instructors.

Harold Tilley, director of the vocational-technical school, said the idea of offering community college classes in Cape Girardeau has been talked about for six or seven months.

"We are just interested to find out if there is a demand for those entry-level jobs," he said.

If the demand is there, more community college courses might be offered in the future.

But Tilley isn't looking ahead at this point. "We are not trying to get into competition with anyone," he said.

But he added it could fill a void in an area that has no community college.