Editorial:

As NWC looks to future, public input is crucial

Posted 2/25/20

With significant drops in enrollment, Northwest College is looking at making major changes on its campus.

At first glance, it may seem contradictory that plans call for building a $20 million …

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Editorial:

As NWC looks to future, public input is crucial

Posted

With significant drops in enrollment, Northwest College is looking at making major changes on its campus.

At first glance, it may seem contradictory that plans call for building a $20 million student center, while also demolishing a mothballed dorm and selling off Trapper Village West. But for college leaders, the number of students is a driving force in each of the decisions.

In an effort to bolster enrollment and attract more students, NWC hopes to construct a modern state-of-the-art student center to replace an aging facility wrought with structural issues.

As enrollment has sagged to a 25-year low, fewer students live on campus. Currently, two dorms — Colter Hall and Cody Hall — sit vacant. Colter is the oldest dorm on campus, while Cody was closed in 2017 due to mold and water damage. To reduce overall housing stock and provide working capital for renovations and demolitions of other properties, the college may divest itself of Trapper Village West — former Air Force housing located 1 mile off campus — which includes multiple apartments.

If finalized, these decisions could bring significant changes to the campus and Powell, which is why we hope the NWC Board of Trustees takes its time considering options and potential long-term impacts.

The NWC board did not take action on the housing master plan at a meeting earlier this month, which provides more time to look into the proposal and also hear from the public.

That’s where you come in, as a member of our community. At its core, Northwest is a community college, and Powell residents have the opportunity to weigh in on the housing plan and other issues facing the college.

It can be as simple as sending an email to one of the seven publicly elected board members (their addresses are listed below at right). Or if you want to address trustees publicly, they set aside time at each board meeting for public comments. The board’s next meeting is on March 9 at the NWC Cody Center in the Park County Complex, with a citizens’ open forum at around 5 p.m.

In recent years, the board has grappled with difficult issues, compounded by dwindling enrollment and deep budget cuts. As they look to the future for Northwest’s facilities, college officials will decide on plans involving millions of dollars that will have lasting impact on the campus and our community.

For example, the decision in 2016 to eliminate the journalism, broadcasting and farrier programs continues to have a ripple effect. Local students who want to become a reporter or shoe horses must go elsewhere for their education, or choose another major to study at NWC. But it goes beyond those students: When the journalism and broadcasting programs were cut, Northwest lost important public forums for students and employees, as well as Powell residents. Newspapers and radio stations have a way of bringing people together, not only as a place to share news from board meetings, but also to celebrate students’ triumphs, vocalize opinions and publicize events on campus.

The aim of this editorial isn’t to advocate reviving what was lost in 2016, but rather, to encourage a different process with the decisions now facing the board. When leaders considered cutting the three programs, there was little time or opportunity for the public to weigh in. The recommendations to eliminate the journalism, broadcasting and farrier programs came just days before a final decision, leaving little chance to digest the news, much less offer a response.

Thankfully, it appears the board is taking more time with the housing plan, which calls for changes over several years. That means the board also has more time to hear from the community — students, employees, alumni and residents alike. Many of us recognize that Northwest College is a gem in Park County, and we want to see it thrive.

We’re not sure what the right answers are at this point, especially when it comes to selling Trapper Village West. But we do know the process will be better if trustees and college officials hear from residents in this community who care about NWC and its future.

 

Contact the Northwest College Board of Trustees:

Carolyn Danko: carolyn.danko@nwc.edu 

John Housel: housellaw@tctwest.net 

Nada Larsen: aspenmnl@gmail.com 

Dustin Spomer: dspomer@to-engineers.com 

Mark Wurzel: mwurzel@pvhc.org 

Bob Newsome: newsome@codyice.com 

Luke Anderson: landerson@wercs.com 

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