Rock Springs – Following a visit by the last presidential finalist to Western Wyoming Community College on Tuesday, the school's trustees are ready to consider the proposal.
The special meeting will be held Thursday in room 3060 at 6:30 p.m. The only item on the agenda is “Consideration and possible actions for extending employment offers to new presidential candidates.'' The meeting will also include an executive session.
Public presentations by the candidates took place in the morning, but meetings with university faculty and students and tours of the university and Rock Springs continued throughout the day, culminating with a discussion and dinner with the Board of Trustees in the evening. did. .
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“We pick them up when they're tired,” board member Neil Kourberas said.
The final finalists visited the university earlier this week, with Angela McLean and Kirk Young arriving on Monday and Tuesday respectively. Two previous finalists visited last week.
angela mclean
Mr. MacLean is the Director of American Indian and Minority Achievement and K-12 Partnerships for the Montana University System Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, a position he has held since 2016. She was also interim director of the University of Montana’s Bitterroot College. 2022-2023 academic year.
McLean said she has been studying Western ever since she heard she had been selected as a finalist for the university president's position. She said she believes in preserving “her community college community.” She has spent much of her career in public education, and she said she understands how an economy based on mining and mineral extraction supports her family.
In his current role, American Indian enrollment at the community college and university levels is increasing, with 14 of the 16 colleges tracked by the office reporting an increase in Native American enrollment in the past year. , enrollment increased by 6%, while enrollment increased in other parts of the country, she said. Registration numbers decreased by 1%.
She also mentioned her track record in workforce development, talking about the Montana Future at Work program, which provides workforce qualifications to high school students before they graduate. The program is expected to graduate 144 students this year with certifications in medical assisting, HVAC or construction-related industries, she said. She also believes in the “Grow Your Own” initiative implemented in Montana to solve the K-12 teacher shortage. This initiative will begin training high school students to become local high school teachers.
She says universities need to take advantage of the energy economy and offer more bachelor's degree options in the future.
kirk young
Young is vice president of student affairs at Jamestown Community College in Jamestown, New York. Young, a Utah native, was hired by Jamestown Community College in 2014 after serving in various positions at Utah Valley University.
Young said university presidents need to know the strengths of their teams and how to best leverage those strengths, adding that the problems facing community colleges are difficult and require people in the room to solve problems. Said finding the smartest person doesn't work. He also said universities need to be a resource in their service areas, but also need to be able to lead on issues such as economic development.
In addressing the issue of recruiting industrial technology instructors, Mr. Young is working through agreements to lend skilled labor to programs that support student training, as well as lobbying through industry partners to fill vacant instructor positions and increase competitiveness. described an agreement that provides a certain salary and benefits package.
Mr. Young outlined a vision for addressing workforce needs, highlighting the JCC's programs focused on foundation partnerships with business, industry, health care and other sectors. He also focuses on providing fast-track programs and credit awarded to students for prior learning and work experience. He believes community colleges should evolve with local, regional and national economies.
