In 1994, an academic dean for St. Louis Community College challenged the Forest Park campus to “take education to the community,” said Tracy Hall, vice president of academic affairs at STLCC-Forest Park.
Since then, the campus has continued to take on the challenge of William J. Harrison, then associate dean of academic support and continuing education.
Before Harrison died in June 1994, he helped open a facility at the Julia Davis Library, where community members could take general education courses. Then, in 2010, the college built the state-of-the-art William J. Harrison Education Center, located near Vashon High School at 3140 Cass Ave.
In January, the center will take another big step. For the first time, it will offer associate degrees and certificates in four programs, including human services, emergency medical technology, paramedic technology and fire protection technology.
“We think it’s time to go to another level,” Hall said. “We thought, ‘Why don’t we take degrees to the community?’ We are hoping that more students will take advantage of these opportunities because they are right in their neighborhood.”
Stacy M. Edwards, the center’s new manager, said she is dedicated to making sure the community knows about these new opportunities.
“We’ve been here for three years, but many people don’t know we’re here,” said Edwards, who is also the manager for community outreach efforts. “How can we utilize this location to reach out and reach those who have not had that many opportunities?”
Courses available
Among the four new degree programs, the human services department is the largest. In this program, students can earn degrees or certificates that will prepare them for entry-level jobs in areas such as alcohol treatment, drug addiction and counseling.
“They could go straight into the workforce,” said Angela Roffle, department chair of human services at the Williams Center.
For example, she said students could become assistant counselors, case workers and rehabilitation workers, among other careers. Entry-level careers tend to pay hourly rates of $9 to $13, she said. However, if students went on to earn bachelor’s degrees, their salaries could be much higher. Oftentimes companies will pay for tuition costs for entry-level employees who want to earn a bachelor’s degree, she said.
Roffle herself is a product of STLCC-Forest Park’s human services program. She believes the program will be successful because students will interact and build a connection with the community during their course study.
“It puts us right in the environment and connected with the people who we will be serving,” she said.
Offering job training to the community will have long-term effects.
“Education and career training is one way to get people out of poverty,” Roffle said. “This is an opportunity to have a second chance to break out of poverty. And we need to be there to help the community do that.”
On average, human services degrees require 64 credit hours and certificates require 24 credit hours. Tuition is $98 per credit hour, plus costs for supplies. Most students at the center receive federal Pell grants, which can cover the full tuition and all college expenses, Roffle said.
For St. Louis residents, tuition adds up to about $1,176 for one semester with 12 credit hours (about four classes). However, for a person with a zero EFC (a financial aid term which means “expected family contribution”), that student may receive about $2,822 in Pell grants per semester. That would more than cover the book expenses, which range from $300 to 500, and other student costs.
For the medical programs, the credit requirements are higher. For an EMT certificate, the requirement is 35 credit hours. An associate degree in paramedic technology is 68 to 69 credit hours.
These programs offer students great careers opportunities, Hall said. Salaries for firefighters in St. Louis City range from $33,000 to $51,100, according to the city government’s website. An EMT earns from $28,300 to $42,400 and a paramedic earns from $34,100 to $51,200.
Microcosm campus
The 31,000-square-foot facility features science and computer labs, five state-of-the-art smart technology classrooms, multipurpose community room, bookstore, commons area, outreach center, art studio and administrative offices. The building contains the latest high-tech audio-visual equipment and provides wireless connectivity throughout.
“The center is a microcosm of the STLCC-Forest Park campus,” Hall said. “Every service students are able to receive at the main campus will be available to them.”
Campus life and bookstore services are available at the center, where students can obtain their STLCC One Card/ID, parking passes as well as their books and needed supplies. The center also offers tutoring and limited library services.
“We look to partner with as many people and programs as possible,” Edwards said. “We want to better serve our students, and we want to deliver a quality education to our students.”
The Tyrone Thompson Institute for Non-Violence is also housed at the center. Through the program, funded by the Kwame Foundation, the institute offers a new approach to school suspensions. STLCC students tutor and mentor suspended students in the St. Louis Public School District, through eighth grade.
Hall said, “We are proud to house the institute and look forward to strengthening our partnership with the Thompson family as we work together to address the societal issues impacting the community.”
For more information, call 314-763-6000 or visit www.stlcc.edu/programs.
