As chancellor of St. Louis Community College, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and talking with many of you about the college’s positive impact on your lives and careers. Listening to these stories and seeing the end result — graduation, new careers, promotions — continues to influence STLCC’s work to maintain programs that are relevant to the workforce, create clear transfer pathways to four-year institutions, and keep tuition rates stable and affordable.
I recently attended an open house celebrating the college’s partnership with the Ferguson Community Empowerment Center. Our Florissant Valley campus, located in Ferguson, is one of the pillars of North County, and by partnering with the Urban League and other organizations, STLCC is able to further extend its reach into the community. We’re excited to offer financial aid, admissions, registration, advising and career services at the center.
We will continue to pursue initiatives and programs similar to our offerings at the Empowerment Center, although the college still may face challenges given the current budget situation in the state.
As most of you have heard, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens is calling for a total of $68.2 million in cuts from higher education, which, if finalized, would amount to as much as $4.6 million in reductions to STLCC’s core funding, plus other budget withholds that may occur.
In the past two years, we have laid the groundwork for addressing state budget reductions by deactivating or consolidating programs, reducing administrative and operating costs, and unfortunately, conducting a reduction in force. Although it is too early to tell, such proposed cuts from the state could result in a significant increase in our tuition, potentially prohibiting some students from attending the college. Regardless of these challenges, we continue to look for innovative and affordable means to align programs and services to meet the expectations of students and employers.
One such example is aligning our resources to meet community educational needs. The fastest growing job sector in the region is healthcare, and the college is responding. That is why a new Center for Nursing and Health Sciences will replace two outdated buildings on the Forest Park campus.
Another example includes our efforts to address enrollment shortfalls. We’ve increased our partnerships to expand our successful early college and dual enrollment programs, broadening on-line course offerings to make the college more accessible to students; and forming alliances with companies in the St. Louis region, such as developing apprenticeship opportunities to provide skilled workers to area employers.
Simultaneously, we know we must be responsible to the taxpayers in the region who fund the college. Moreover, we must better align the college with the community’s needs.
That’s why St. Louis Community College is making needed changes to keep programs relevant and tuition costs stable to remain the affordable and high-quality education institution that the region so desperately needs. By working directly with the communities the college serves, we will continue to strengthen our commitment to expand minds and change lives.
Jeff L. Pittman is chancellor of St. Louis Community College.
