Partnership on track

With the fall semester just around the corner, officials with the Cape Girardeau Partnership for Higher Education are pleased with the center's first year results.

In its first semester last fall, the partnership -- which includes Mineral Area College, Three Rivers College and Southeast Missouri State University and is based at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center -- saw 189 students enroll for classes. About 200 enrolled for the spring semester, and around 100 students have been participating in the first summer session.

So far more than 200 students have signed up for courses this fall, and between 250 and 300 students are projected to enroll. Another plus is courses are expanding from 30 last fall to 50 this coming semester.

While it's important to meet the educational needs of prospective students in the area, financial sustainability is also a critical component. With the exception of the startup costs, the partnership is close to breaking even, according to officials. Wes Payne, Three Rivers' vice president for learning, projects that in the upcoming academic year the partnership will be self-sustaining.

For all the positives that the partnership has seen, one hiccup that will need to be addressed, according to Kathy Swan, vice chairwoman of the partnership's advisory board, is streamlining the financial aid process for students.

All in all, the Partnership is on track, and for as challenging as this first year could have been, we applaud those involved for their good work and look forward to continued progress this year.