Monday, October 16, 2006, Issue 3
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SPC Regents ponder expanding Plainview campus

by Jacob Tucker, associate editor

State enrollment, the Plainview Center, and the 50th anniversary of South Plains College were among the topics of discussion at the October meeting of the SPC Board of Regents.

Darrell Grimes, vice president for academic affairs, presented an update on the progress of the Plainview Center in his report.  He informed the Board about all the classes being offered on the campus, and that enrollment has nearly doubled from last fall.

“I had anticipated that SPC would have a lot to offer the Plainview community,” said Dr. Kelvin Sharp, president of SPC.  “There were many people there not receiving the education that they deserved, and now they are.”

More than half of those enrolled this semester on the Plainview campus are first-year students, and 73 percent of those who are enrolled are female.  The Plainview campus has a higher average-age attendance, which is 26, than the main campus, which is 21.  This means that there are a few more non-traditional students attending that campus rather than attending the Levelland campus.

The growth at the Plainview Center has maxed out the room that was available for classes.

“The Plainview Center could grow even more if we were to renovate and expand the building,” said Grimes.

That is exactly what the Board plans to do.  There is an estimated 20,000 square feet of free space available for renovation, according to Dr. Sharp.

  

SPC's Sharp joins area presidents to discuss 'Solutions for our Future'

by Jacob Tucker, associate editor

There is a major epidemic plaguing our nation today. 

It is not a virus that affects our bodies, but something worse.  It is the lack of higher education among our citizens.

The United States has fallen to ninth place in postsecondary enrollment in the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation.  ODEC is an organization that is made up of countries around the world that have a working educational program. This data indicates that America has begun to not to focus as much effort on higher education as it used to.

The American Council of Education has created a solution to help bring the nation back up.  It is a program called Solutions for Our Future.  This program was created to establish a connection between the public and colleges and universities.  This connection will answer any questions that the public may have about education, and create solutions to many of the problems.

On Oct. 2, the presidents of Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock Christian University, Wayland Baptist University, and South Plains College held a meeting at the Spirit Ranch in Lubbock to kick off the grassroots campaign.

“We were the first area in the nation to get the colleges together to answer any questions from the public,” said Dr. Kelvin Sharp, president of South Plains College.

Dr. Sharp said he hopes that this will spur a nationwide effort to address the problems facing higher-level education.


 
  
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