CVTC PRESIDENT DEFENDS "COMMUNITY COLLEGE" MODEL
Tuesday, March 28th, 2006 -- 8:13 AM
Chippewa Valley Technical College?s president thinks a lack of ?understanding? may be behind a resolution passed by three district county boards.On Thursday, Clark County?s board of supervisors joined boards from Pepin and Pierce County in passing a resolution requesting CVTC not function as a ?community college?.
The resolution was prompted by CVTC?s proposed two-year Associate of Science Collegiate Transfer Degree Program in liberal studies. In passing the resolution on a vote of 14-13, Clark County?s board went on record as feeling the program duplicates services already offered through the UW System.
Dr. Bill Ihlenfedt (EYE-lehn-feldt) says the program is new in this area, and may be misunderstood.
?This is not going to be a tax spending or tax saving resolution if we do the program or we don?t,? Ihlendfeldt says. ?The students that take these courses are already enrolled here. Right now, they take courses and they take more than they need just to get financial aid and they transfer to the University and lose credits. We?d like to avoid that.?
Ihlenfeldt says it wouldn?t be a ?deal breaker? should CVTC be told ?no? by the state Technical College Board. He notes three state tech schools already have the ?Community College? model.
?The model is probably the most prevalent model in the United States and has been for decades and decades,? Ihlenfeldt explains. ?Wisconsin, back in the early ?70s, established two separate two year systems: one to provide the liberal studies track, the other to provide the occupational studies track. For whatever reason, they didn?t do that here in Western Wisconsin, so that?s what we're trying to put forth.?
There are currently no ?community colleges? in CVTC?s 11-county region, Ihlenfeldt notes.
The proposal will go to the state board this week.
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