By Annabeth Miller,
ShowMe Times Editor

Things were all polished and new Thursday afternoon at the new Three Rivers College Center in Dexter - ready for the college president and Rocky Raider to show off the college's newest campus.

The college hosted an Open House for the community at the new facility on Market Street, and a steady stream of Dexter area residents visited and toured the center.

“This is one of Three Rivers’ most beautiful and advanced facilities,” said Dr. Devin Stephenson, President of the college. “This center is very important to us, and to the people of the Dexter area. I expect new, fresh ideas to come from this center.”

Stephenson and center coordinator Bill Hampton, assistant coordinator Ann Matthews and other college staff members offered tours of the college center, including the Green Diesel lab spaces, which include multiple cutaways of real trucks, truck engines, and more. The Student Ambassadors were on hand to greet visitors and even Rocky Raider, the college mascot was on hand to meet folks.

The Dexter center is located at 515 West Market Street, off One Mile Road in Dexter. Portions of the former hat factory are still in use by the Dexter Chamber of Commerce and other businesses, with Three Rivers now occupying classrooms, offices, computer labs, lab spaces, and even a bookstore. Classes in the Dexter center began on January 18, 2011.

“We’re here to serve the students of Stoddard County and its surrounding areas,” said Hampton. “We invite prospective students, parents of students, and the community in general to come by and see the new facility. Ann and I will be on hand to answer any questions about course offerings, financial aid, and the center in general.”

Classes For Summer

Registration for summer classes at Three Rivers began this week with a full slate of classes being offered locally.

Summer Classes will be offered in three sessions – June 6-28; July 5-28; and a full session from June 6 through July 28.

Among the classes to be offered this summer include general education courses such as Fundamentals of English, College Writing, American History Since 1877, Fundamentals of Math, Beginning and Intermediate Algebra, Public Speaking and more.

Other classes offered at the Dexter Center will include Art for the Elementary Teacher, History and Appreciation of Theater and Survey of Early Childhood Students also have the option of taking classes online. This summer, Three Rivers is offering over 70 online classes, which students can access from their home computer or any computer with an Internet connection.

Course offerings can be viewed online by going to trcc.edu and clicking on "Current Course Schedule." Students are encouraged to register for classes as soon as possible to ensure class availability. New Three Rivers students must register in person on campus, or at one of the college centers in Malden, Kennett, Sikeston, Portageville or Dexter. Returning students can register online at trcc.edu by using the myTRCC program.

Summer Registration continues through June 2 for in-person registration, and until June 5 for online registration. Regular registration for Fall 2011 is scheduled to begin on April 6. For questions about enrolling, registering, applying for financial aid or available programs, call the Three Rivers College Welcome Center at 573-840-9605 or toll-free at 1-877-879-8722.

Photos Above:
Top Photo: Three Rivers College President Dr. Devin Stephenson (left) and Dexter City Administrator Mark Stidham chat with the college's mascot, Rocky Raider, at the Open House.
Bottom Photo: Dexter Library Executive Director Pam Trammell (left) chats with Connie Hampton during a tour of the Three Rivers campus in Dexter. Hampton is the center coordinator at the college's facility in Malden.