PROPOSAL

FLATHEAD VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

PROPOSAL TO BOARD OF REGENTS
Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Funds-- Temporary State Fiscal Relief

Priority #1: Scholarships for students

Each year, more than 90% of Flathead Valley Community College students receive some form of financial assistance to attend college. Additional funding for scholarships for students will increase access for many students who could otherwise not enter or complete two-year postsecondary education. Both access and retention will be increased.

Priority #2: Enhancement and expansion of allied health and safety programs

Flathead Valley Community College has increased allied health and safety programs to meet the needs of our community. We currently have extensive wait-lists for students who are interested in entering these programs. Access to clinical participation is limited because of accreditation standards. Additional funds would enable us to offer additional clinical opportunities for students. Furthermore, employers in the medical community have many vacancies for individuals trained in these fields. These funds will allow us to enhance and expand our programs to better meet the needs of our students (increase access) and our community (trained workforce for local employers and provide quality healthcare).

Priority #3:Enhancement and expansion of distance education and student services to increase access to students in rural and outreach areas (such as Libby, Troy, and Eureka)

Many students are place-bound and live in rural areas because of family or work commitments. Flathead Valley Community College recently began to offer distance education to these students. Our service area covering two rural counties requires us to offer courses and programs through alternatives to traditional "on-campus" courses through modalities such as distance delivery. This ensures access to all students who are interested in continuing their education. These funds will provide the means to enhance and expand distance education to make it a viable option for the many students who would otherwise be unable to take courses or attain a degree.

Summary:

MILES COMMUNITY COLLEGE

PROPOSAL TO BOARD OF REGENTS
Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Funds -- Temporary State Fiscal Relief

Priority #1: Scholarships for students

As we continue to work on recruitment and retention goals at Miles Community College, we realize we need to increase financial aid to students. While our tuition and fees still remain some of the lowest in the State, over 85% of our students receive some form of financial aid. Thus, with the additional funding, we will be able to recruit and retain students.

Priority #2: Enhancement for Nursing Program to distance- deliver LPN-RN and RN program to Glendive/Sidney.

Miles Community College is planning to resurrect our RN program to be distance-delivered to Sidney and Glendive in order to provide improved access to nursing education to rural communities and hospitals. Over the past three years, we have organized town meetings in both Glendive and Sidney to determine the need and how to ease the nursing shortage in the rural areas. Over sixty people attended the Glendive and Sidney town meetings with dozens of other people calling in, saying they could not attend the meetings but would like to participate in the program. We will serve 16 freshmen students and 16 sophomore or LPN-RN students in the Glendive/Sidney areas. The two hospitals will provide clinicals and additional funding and equipment.

Priority #3:Programming enhancement, including student services and online and video conferencing course development

As we transition our courses to meet the demands of the new and ever-changing marketplace, we need funding to enhance the programming. Since our service is large, online and video conferencing are quickly becoming part of our strategy to develop "educational niches" in Eastern Montana. In order to continue developing our niche, we need to transition more courses to the distance-delivered modalities, thus allowing access to certain market-specific programming, such as nursing, paraprofessional education, and technology.

Summary:

Dawson Community College

Board of Regents Proposal

Priority #1: Scholarships and Work-Study for Students

Affordability of educational opportunities is a key component in the recruitment and retention equation at Dawson Community College. In an effort to enhance accessibility, $12,000 will be allocated for scholarships. Scholarships will be awarded to students seeking degrees in programs that are currently underutilized. In addition, $16,000 will be allocated to fund campus work-study. Allocation of the funding for both of these components will be on a prorated basis for the next three semesters.

Priority # 2: Direct Tuition Benefit for Students

For the past two years, the college has been successful in controlling costs and expenditures. In order to avoid an increase in tuition next year to meet increasing operational costs (e.g. utilities and supplies), we would like to allocate $12,000 of these funds in lieu of a tuition increase. Utilizing this source of funding as a direct offset against resident tuition, students will realize a direct benefit in the form of tuition relief.

Priority #3: Improvement of distance education delivery systems to increase assess to students in rural, Eastern Montana communities

In order to improve student access to educational programs in eastern Montana communities, the requested funds will help provide the means by which students can earn a degree or certificate via distance education. By improving its distance delivery modalities (Internet, ITV, and independent study), the college will help meet the post-secondary needs of eastern Montana residents. Example programs include: Farm/Ranch Business Management, Law Enforcement, Early Childhood Education, Nursing (in collaboration with Miles Community College), and general transfer Associate degrees.