Three Rivers Community College (TRCC) of Poplar Bluff will withdraw from Willow Springs by the end of the year, according to school and city officials who said the school hasn’t been able to meet the requirements of the Missouri Department of Higher Education in offering a general studies program.
“I am disappointed that it hasn’t worked,” TRCC director Scott Williamson said. “I still believe there is a need for vocational technical education in the area, however there were simply more obstacles than we could overcome. We will meet our obligations to all current students but will not be enrolling any new students,”
Williamson, TRCC president Dr. Wesley Payne, and Willow Springs Mayor Kim Wehmer all expressed their disappointment.
The college has been part of the South Central Education Consortium, along with Missouri State University-West Plains, offering classes in the former Missouri Department of Transport District 9 building since January 2014. Williamson said approximately 30 students attended the college, which offered courses in HVAC, welding, EMT courses, transitional math, reading and writing.
Willow Springs reached an agreement with MoDOT for use of the facility so that the city could begin negotiations with Three Rivers to establish a vocational center. MSU-West Plains expressed their interest also in the buildings. An agreement was then signed by the two in 2013 as regulated by the Missouri Department of Higher Education. State Sen. Mike Cunningham and State Rep. Shawn Rhoads also helped.
“To hear the news that TRCC would be terminating their lease with the city of Willow Springs at the end of 2016 was disheartening, to say the least,” said city administrator Beverly Hicks. “However it did not come to us as a shock, being that the obstacles that had been placed on the education consortium were extremely challenging from the very beginning which included not being able to offer a general studies program.
The Missouri Department of Higher Education’s policies, in regard to the duplication of services, made it extremely difficult for TRCC to be sustainable and grow as successfully as it has in other areas of the state. “This partnership, quite honestly, was set up for failure and very frustrating on the part of the city, as we had no control over the policies set forth in this agreement,” said Hicks.
The city will now take a hard look at the current MoDOT lease in relation to the future of the building.
“We have had a great working relationship with Payne, Williamson and all of the TRCC staff and appreciate their past willingness to partner under such difficult terms,” Hicks said. “It is my hope the Missouri Department of Higher Education would reevaluate these policies and allow communities to have some control over their own educational needs and wants, and if this was to ever occur, I believe that TRCC would be willing to partner with the city once again.”