Photo courtesy of Gillette College
The Northern Wyoming Community College District (NWCCD) Board of Trustees voted unanimously yesterday to approve the next steps in the development of an applied four-year degree program at Gillette and Sheridan colleges.
The Bachelor’s of Applied Science in management and leadership, with two areas of emphasis in business and industrial technology, is a valuable degree, according to NWCCD President Dr. Walt Tribley. This degree applies to a broad array of students, he noted, looking to enter a management career or continue professional development.
“I’m excited for the opportunities this holds for our students and business community in northern Wyoming,” he said. “These two-degree options will allow us to meet employers’ demand for highly trained employees ready to take on leadership roles and give students the option to continue their education right here in northern Wyoming.”
The addition of this specific degree program was not made lightly, Tribley said, and was the result of district-wide research conducted by the NWCCD Office of Academic Affairs involving extensive faculty leadership and careful consideration of student and industry needs.
“We surveyed 90 business professionals from across the district that participated in our advisory committee,” he said. “We surveyed over 300 students to see if they were interested in a four-year degree, and if so, what areas.”
The next step, according to Tribley, will be fully developing the program’s curriculum.
“We already have a framework of the courses in the program,” he said, adding that the program hours to graduate have been broken down and will include courses such as human resources, accounting, and marketing.
The final steps in the process, he said, include seeking approval from the Wyoming Community College Commission and the Higher Learning Commission for accreditation as well as receiving approval from the U.S. Department of Education to ensure degree-seeking students are eligible to receive federal financial aid.
Currently, both Gillette and Sheridan colleges do not offer any four-year degrees, NWCCD Assistant Vice President for Strategic Communication and Public Relations Wendy Smith said, noting that NWCCD will continue to partner with the University of Wyoming and other colleges to allow students to pursue full degrees.
“Nursing is the best example. Our students can take classes from the University of Wyoming (UW) concurrently and can earn both their associate degree from us and their BSN degree from UW at the same time,” Smith explained.
In March 2019, the Wyoming Legislature passed legislation enabling Wyoming’s community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees in applied sciences.
Tribley said the earliest timeline for the program to go live, due to the extensive continuing process, could potentially be in fall 2021.
The industrial technology management area of emphasis ties right into current local staffing needs, he noted, which will help feed industry demand.
According to Wyoming Department of Workforce Service Manager Rick Mansheim, Campbell County and northeast Wyoming are currently experiencing a shortage of highly skilled careers, and that CDL drivers are most in demand along with diesel mechanics, welders, and electricians.
Wyoming’s state-wide unemployment rate is currently around 3.9%.