What’s next for NWACC? : College eyes Washington County permanent presence, university center
Posted on Wednesday, April 30, 2008
BENTONVILLE — The community seems to agree that two of the top needs for Northwest Arkansas Community College are a more permanent presence in Washington County and a university center.
The issue was discussed Tuesday afternoon during an NWACC Master Plan Update Task Force meeting. The task force is working to update the college’s Master Plan, which is a guide for programs, services and, in effect, facilities.
The college, for the last several months, has been conducting focus-group meetings and an online community-needs survey to better gauge what residents of both Washington and Benton counties believe is needed from the college. Both datagathering techniques asked what the college is doing well and what is needed for the future.
The task force got its first official look at all the compiled data, as well as information from the 2006 gap analysis, which was conducted by Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. A gap analysis looks at a community and determines what needs are being met and what needs remain unfulfilled. This is accomplished using public data and demographics, NWACC consultant Patti Mocivnik explained.
Susan Holmes, co-facilitator for the task force, said the results make the priorities quite clear. Certain types of programs, such as programs for medical professions, are clearly needed, but so is a type of program called a university center. University centers are programs in which other colleges and universities can partner with NWACC to provide their four-year degrees using NWACC facilities.
Another major need is a permanent Washington County presence, according to the data and task force members. Members agreed that support services — such as advising, admissions and financial aid — need to be duplicated in Washington County. There would also need to be a focus on specialty services that aren’t as prevalent in Benton County but might be required in Washington County.
Many general-education courses would also need to be duplicated. Task force members agreed that many equipment-based programs offered in Benton County would not be feasible in Washington County, but also that some Washington County-specific programs should be developed. The task force also agreed that variety and flexibility in class scheduling would be vital.
Where to offer the classes will be the sticky point. The college currently leases three Washington County facilities, which are incredibly expensive, NWACC President Becky Paneitz said. Task force members had concerns about the idea of constructing a building in a location that doesn’t offer millage support to the college.
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