Plans under way for county learning center in Sidney

If a few area leaders have their way, Richland County could very well become the agriculture and energy education hub of the northern United States.

In a meeting with Richland County Commissioners held on Tuesday, Sidney Mayor Brett Smelser, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Daniel Farr, and the Mayor’s Committee Chairman Dr. Hal Campbell presented plans for the establishment of Eastern Montana University Center, an educational partnership between Sidney Public Schools and higher education providers throughout the state of Montana and other regions of the country.

“I think I told all of you I thought we would grow Sidney on oil and gas,” Smelser told the commissioners. “We never did that. We think we will grow Sidney and Richland County on education.”

Plans for the center began roughly six months ago with a focus on quality higher education to residents of the region at an affordable price. The EMUC plan is expected to not only accomplish this goal but set the stage for dramatic improvements by extending the current K-12 strategy to a full K-20 educational policy.

“We’re looking at expanding that opportunity eventually beyond business education,” Farr said, “[to] include agriculture and education classes, apprenticeship trades and industries and other areas.”

Farr said he’d already spoken with MSU representatives to bring elementary education and a master’s program to the newly created Eastern Montana University Center where students would complete two years of their four-year degree program before even graduating high school–something that’s very cost effective. “They’re 100 percent supportive of this,” he said.

So far, the center would be held in the vacant space at Central School as well as part of Sidney High School where classes could be taught via simulcast from professors at MSU Bozeman, MSU Northern and other campuses. “The limits here are quite honestly limitless,” he said. “There’s an awful lot of opportunities to serve not only eastern Montana but also western North Dakota.”

The idea for the center is threefold. First, is to keep the area’s young people, “the most valuable resource,” from leaving by offering alternatives. “EMUC should provide them with options and hopefully change their mind...” Campbell said.

In addition to energy and agriculture classes, which could serve as the “hallmarks”of the center, the potential is there for adding courses in culinary, electrical, construction, business, health and a variety of other professional degrees. Second, is to utilize the area’s field experts.

Campbell told commissioners it’s much better to have someone who’s in the field at present to teach courses, and it would be good to capitalize on resources available such as the Sidney Heath Center and the USDA research center. He said Dawson Community College has already agreed to pay area residents to teach courses provided they are qualified. Third, is to keep tuition dollars in state, which will ultimately fuel the state’s economy.

Things seem to be going so well with the concept, that by next fall, associate degrees will be offered through Dawson, but there are bigger plans. “We’re not looking to offer degree programs under the EMUC banner,” Campbell said. “What we’re looking to do is essentially become an education broker of higher education services.” That, he added, would be accomplished by eventually offering adult career education classes, vocation training and AP college credit courses for juniors and seniors through Dawson and upper division credits for juniors and seniors through MSU. “At some point we will be a producer of higher education...” he said.

Commissioners Mark Rehbein and Don Steppler said they were concerned about transferrable credits from Dawson to MSU. Farr and Campbell said discrepancies in the transfers would not happen because of guidance counselors who would “shepherd them through” the process and submit forms to MSU for pre-approval before the students invest their time.

Long-term plans for the center include utilizing the MonDak Heritage Center, expanding its building and working with the Sidney-Richland County Public Library to expand on the resources. Although no money was asked for, Smelser said they would like support from the county. “I think all we need at this point in time is to give them ( Farr and Campbell) all the encouragement they need and as much latitude as we can to make this happen,” he said.

reporter@sidneyherald.com