By WESLIE STRATTON
Moapa Valley Progress
Local education advocates met with Kevin Melcher, of the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents, at the Moapa Valley High School on Dec. 10 regarding College of Southern Nevada Logandale campus.
The college currently offers several classes to high school students to give them a jump start on higher education. Melcher’s visit was to address any questions or concerns about the program.
“I’m here to just listen, hear what you have to say, what works and what you’d like to change,” he said.
He said that a lot of good and exciting things are “coming on board” regarding community collages throughout the state.
“We’re looking at a lot of shared services, cutting costs and focusing on students,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a good year for community college.”
Overton resident, Carrie Beckstrand, who is a parent and a member of the Moapa Valley Community Education Advisory Board (MVCEAB) pointed out that MVHS is a rural school in a huge urban area. She felt that there is a concerning lack of communication between the CSN main campus and the extension at the high school.
Beckstrand said that at one point MVHS had an exceptional facilitator and recruiter for CSN stationed at the local campus. The person took a vested interest in each student and clarified issues and concerns between the two schools. At that time, the program had been successful with many students enrolling in classes. She said that at that point communication was great and others agreed with her. But since that facilitator left the local campus, communication has decreased significantly.
Melcher said that he understands the issue and explained that CSN is growing.
“At a certain point with the size you lose effectiveness,” he said of the individual needs of each CSN extension.
He said he understands the general feeling of isolation that MVHS feels from the main campus and emphasized the benefit of mentoring by either faculty or alumni.
“It’s a lot to ask schools to do,” he said.
Local parent, MVCEAB member and CSN professor Dr. Shari Lyman said that faculty is already playing the role of mentor to students.
“We lack advisors,” she said. “So the faculty becomes advisors.”
Lyman added that CSN lacks advisors and faculty so the students success in the extension programs often falls to the high school staff.
Logandale resident and former MVHS principal, Larry Moses, agreed saying that the high school is being forced to take on the responsibilities of the community college in recruiting and mentoring students. He said that the college is taking tuition and giving college credits.
“There ought to be someone at the college saying ‘Hey, this is my kid…’,” he said, adding that college representatives should be making an effort and taking a vested interest in each student.
Melcher agreed that the structure of CSN needs to be reviewed and adjusted.
“It’s a partnership,” he said.
He added that the lack of structure is a recurring concern that is drawing attention. He inquired about the dual credit programs that are offered at the MVHS campus.
MVHS Principal Rod Adams said that CSN is lacking in the licensing of qualified instructors and that those who may be willing and able to teach are unable to do so. This decreases the class options that are available to students.
Adams said that students are having to pay full price for desired courses because they are not available under what is currently offered through the Jumpstart Concurrent Enrollment Program that promotes waived registration fees, free textbooks and free college services to students.
“While they’re in high school lets give them a good taste of college at a reasonable cost,” Adams said.
Melcher agreed that too many students are graduating high school and lacking the knowledge of what college is all about.
Another disconnect between the high school extension and main CSN campus is registration policy. Local parent, Cindy McMurray, who is also the chair of MVCEAB, said that CSN policy is for classes to be dropped two weeks prior to the start of the semester if they have not reached a certain number of registered students. She explained that those extra two weeks are often what it takes for high school students to decide which classes they want and to get registered.
She said that between 15-18 students are missing out on desired college courses because registration ends the day before school starts. She said they are showing up on the first day of school to register and are being turned away because they are just a matter of hours too late.
Melcher brought up the 15 To Finish program which is that students must take 15 credits per semester in order to finish a bachelor’s degree in four years. Currently the Millennial Scholarship will only cover 12 credits per semester, he said. This leaves students who are dependent upon the scholarship to afford school paying full price for three extra credits each semester. He ensured that the oversight is under review and will be a point of interest at the state legislature.
“What I’m hearing is a lot of disconnect,” Melcher said, specifically in areas of communication, policy and structure between MVHS and CSN.
He said that CSN is one of the largest community colleges in the nation and that it has become a major focus in “the system”.
“I think we’re going to see real growth,” he said, adding that the concerns mentioned in the meeting will be reviewed and discussed by the committee.
