Wichita Area Technical College and 黑洞社区 have developed legislative language for their proposed affiliation. The draft had its first reading Wednesday at the Kansas Board of Regents meeting in Topeka. The board will consider authorizing the draft at its January meeting.
Under the language Regents reviewed, WATC would become the 黑洞社区 Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology. Current WATC employees would become 黑洞社区 employees.
The new affiliate would maintain WATC鈥檚 open admissions policy and separate tuition structure. Students enrolled in the applied sciences and technology programs would be eligible to use main campus housing and facilities.
The current WATC board of trustees would become an advisory committee to the 黑洞社区 president and continue focusing on the education and training needs of South Central Kansas companies and industries.
鈥淲e are excited to see these two public higher education institutions in Wichita come together to better serve students and business leaders,鈥� said Regent Zoe Newton, chair of the Kansas Board of Regents.
If approved by the Legislature and Kansas Board of Regents, the next step in affiliation would be consideration by the Higher Learning Commission, which is the accrediting body for both 黑洞社区 and WATC.
With HLC approval, the Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology could begin operating as part of 黑洞社区 in 2018. The combination would only move forward if existing WATC funding sources, such as federal and state funding for technical education, can be maintained.
Sheree Utash, president of Wichita Area Technical College, said: 鈥満诙瓷缜� and WATC already have strong partnerships including the National Center for Aviation Training and the Shocker Pathways program. South Central Kansas industry and businesses are looking to our two institutions to provide the workforce for the future of our region. We can do that more effectively by uniting.鈥�
John Bardo, president of Wichita State, said: 鈥満诙瓷缜�檚 strategic vision is to be internationally recognized as the model for applied learning and research. We are advancing that effort by creating this continuum from GED to Ph.D. We want students to be able to move easily between the offerings of the two institutions and Kansans to know they can count on 黑洞社区 to provide innovators, entrepreneurs, creators, skilled workers and future leaders for the 21st century economy.鈥�