Why MAC in Cape Girardeau makes sense for students

The mission of Mineral Area College (MAC) is to serve the community by providing students a quality, affordable education and offer opportunities for personal growth and career development in a safe, professional environment. We are flattered the community has chosen us to be the provider of affordable general and technical education in the greater Cape Girardeau area.

Your community has been seeking a community college for nearly two decades, and hopefully soon your students will have that option through MAC. We are the second oldest community college in the state and have been serving Southeast Missouri for 99 years by providing Associate of Arts degrees for transfer students and technical degrees for students on a vocational pathway. Just recently, our service region expanded to include the school districts in Cape Girardeau County. We were very excited to be invited to serve the community when the Cape Girardeau and Jackson school boards unanimously voted to change service regions from Three Rivers Community College to Mineral Area College.

In the '90s, students in Missouri were made a promise. It was called the "A+ Promise," and it allowed students to attend a two-year institution at zero tuition cost. A community college in Cape Girardeau would allow students who have been working towards the requirements of the A+ program to stay in the community and earn their degree before transferring to a university or going to work.

Recently, a feasibility study was completed by leaders of the community. That study concluded a new community college was not feasible or viable mainly because there are already 12 community colleges in Missouri. The study does not say MAC won't be viable or feasible. In fact, the consultants recommend expansion of postsecondary education options, especially those which provide a pathway to the university setting.

We are currently going through the approval process at the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (DHEWD) and hope to have an answer soon on our request to offer programming in Cape Girardeau.

Some have asked how a MAC presence in Cape Girardeau would impact Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO). This is a great question. The study mentioned above indicates nearly 40% of students say they are not going to college. As a first generation, low income college student myself, I know that college can be intimidating. Sometimes the cost can be too much, even with federal aid. Sometimes, students are not socially or academically ready for the university. That's where MAC will play an important role to the students of Cape County. Through the A+ program and Pell Grants, many students will be able to attend and pursue an Associate of Arts degree at little to no cost out of pocket. At Mineral Area College, we help students achieve their dreams with little to no debt.

In addition to providing education to an underserved population, MAC will assist students with transfer to four-year universities. The biggest benefactor of those transfers is likely to be SEMO. Currently, 14% of MAC grads transfer to SEMO. In Springfield, Missouri, for instance, Ozarks Technical Community College transfers nearly 60% to Missouri State University, and they are directly across the street from each other. Both colleges work together to provide a seamless pathway to higher education, regardless of income or background. We hope to achieve that same type of synergy in the greater Cape Girardeau area.

Mineral Area College will continue to do what we have been doing for the past century; serve the community by providing access to affordable, quality education. We cannot wait to get to know the community even better.

Joe Gilgour is the president of Mineral Area College.