Students flock to FOCUS
Technical College event may draw 525 high-school students in two days
By Scott Rochat
Monday, November 13, 2006
Flint Hills Technical College drew about 275 high-schoolers to its annual FOCUS event Monday and expected to see another 250 today.
FOCUS, or Focus on Creating Unlimited Success, is the college's big recruitment drive, where it shows high-schoolers from across the state what the college has to offer. During their visit, the teens get to sample a couple of the programs, from culinary arts to automotive technology.
"It's a great chance for us to roll out the red carpet, show what we can do and possibly plant a crop to harvest later," counselor Eric Tincher said. "If there's ever an event where the whole school comes together, this is the one."
And while the kids are learning, so are the adults. Dean Hollembeck, the college's president, spent some time visiting with the counselors and principals that accompanied the high-schoolers to Emporia. He soon picked up some useful suggestions such as visiting the high schools more, translating what "industrial maintenance" and "machine tools" programs are for students from smaller towns and even letting younger students tour the school.
"We had a couple of folks say they'd like to bring eighth-graders here," Hollembeck said. "We're gonna do that."
He also learned that while the schools may be willing, it may not matter if the budget's weak. When a high schooler attends the technical college, the school district pays the bill, which limits the number that any one school can send.
"There's a dollar issue," Hollembeck told the technical college's board of trustees at Monday night's meeting. "We have 74 or 75 secondary students right now and that's good. But I guess philosophically, I'm going to have to talk to the faculty, listen a lot and see where we go."
Most of the college's students are high-school graduates working on a certificate or an associate's degree, and who pay their own tuition or receive financial aid.
This year's FOCUS included a video that will also be used on recruiting visits. Counselors could take a copy of the recruiting video back to their schools with them
"A lot of these students are visual," Hollembeck said. "They see something that's out there and say 'Hey, that looks like something I'm interested in."
Night shift
Hollembeck also told the trustees Monday that the school will be adding an evening receptionist. With more night classes and evening events at the college, he said, somebody has to be available to help people.
"We don't have any customer service at all," he said. "It's just a dark hallway people are walking into. We need more service at night."
The job will be five hours a day for four days, with Friday off.
One more year?
The Commission on Technical Education, set up to study technical and community colleges statewide, will probably continue for one more year, Hollembeck said.
The commission has still not made any recommendation as to whether the state's technical colleges should merge, a course of action suggested by the Northwest Research Education Center in a 2004 study. The technical colleges, including FHTC, have opposed a merger, although a statewide technical college system where each school has its independence under a state board may be a more palatable possibility.
Whatever else happens, Hollembeck said, the commission seems likely to decide that the technical colleges need more money and a better funding system. And without funding, he added, none of the decisions will matter much.
"That's what may kill it," he said.
In other action Monday:
-- The trustees approved the college's financial report through the end of October. To date, the college has an unencumbered cash balance of $1,340,432 and a more efficient tuition billing system has put the collection rate higher than it usually is at this point in the semester.
-- The trustees reviewed the Health Occupations Technology program, which prepares high-school students for entry-level medical jobs or for further medical training.15 students are enrolled.
-- Winter graduation will be Dec. 20 at the Emporia State University Memorial Union's Colonial Ballroom. Forty-two students are expected to graduate.