Submitted by

Beth Farrah, SMT Writer

This has been another landmark year for Three Rivers College, as our efforts have resulted in continued unprecedented growth and major achievements in serving students and the region. The end of the 2013 fiscal year seemed a per­fect time to review college accomplishments.

In April, Three Rivers was named one of the fastest growing community colleges in America by Community College Week, the nation’s leading periodical for community, technical, and junior colleges. Record enrollment last fall topped 4,600 students, marking a 50 percent increase over the past five years.

These enrollment numbers included a record number of dual credit students. The college is providing dual credit courses to more than 400 students at 40 high schools. Our dual credit pro­gram helps area high schools provide challenging coursework for high-achieving students and helps their parents save money.

Corresponding to record enrollment, Three Rivers set a record in May for the number of graduates. The Three Rivers Class of 2013 was awarded more than 700 degrees and certificates, up 14 percent over 2012.

Three Rivers continues to build toward the fu­ture. We are nearing completion of a $2.2 million transformation of the Academic Resource Com­mons (ARC) into a one-stop hub for all academic support services on the Poplar Bluff campus. This was done debt-free using state funds and college resources.

Inside the ARC will be a center for the college’s Transitional Math and English courses. These courses are the result of a faculty-led project to redesign developmental courses to more effec­tively and more quickly prepare students for col­lege level work. The college received a $2 million U.S. Department of Education Strengthening In­stitutions grant for this innovative project.

In July 2012, Three Rivers signed transfer agree­ments with the University of Missouri to expand accessibility to higher education. The agreement allows several Three Rivers associate degrees to transfer directly into corresponding University of Missouri bachelor’s degree programs at MU and online. Programs include nursing, teaching, for­estry, occupational and physical therapy assistant, and more.

We began administering Licensed Practical Nurse programs in Kennett and Hayti which will see its first graduates this summer.

In response to our efforts to better assist our growing veteran population, Three Rivers was accepted as a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Consortium and earned a spot on the G.I. Jobs Military Friendly Schools List, putting the college among the top 15 percent of institutions nationwide noted for offering high-value education and a welcoming environment for veterans.

For the second consecutive year, Three Rivers was ranked among the top 10 safest college and university campuses in Missouri by StateUniver­sity.com.

Three Rivers has enhanced our efforts at serv­ing high-performing students and experienced a large increase in membership in the Sigma Rho chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa, the official honor society for two-year colleges. We inducted 70 new members this spring, almost doubling our chapter’s membership.

For the 2012-13 academic year, the Three Rivers Endowment Trust awarded more than $32,000 in scholarships to Three Rivers students. The Endowment Trust, the 501(c)(3) not-for-prof­it organization designated by Three Rivers College to receive and manage gifts on behalf of the Col­lege, continues to work to support Three Rivers and its students.

Three Rivers continued efforts to strengthen the area workforce by securing grants and part­nering with employers. Funds secured included:

• $1.1 million from Department of Labor for healthcare workforce training to offer Certi­fied Nursing Assistant classes at no or little cost to participants.

• $250,000 from Missouri Foundation for Health for increasing retention of nursing students.

• $200,000 from Delta Regional Authority for mobile skills training lab.

• $265,000 in state money for firefighting and public safety training.

• $275,000 from the Missouri New Jobs Train­ing Program to provide training for Invensys Controls in West Plains.

• $800,000 from the Missouri Job Retention Training Program to provide training for SRG Global in Portageville.

In October, Three Rivers College and Clearwater High School opened a Public Computing Center in Piedmont.

In November, Three Rivers College was se­lected as a stop on the 2012 Freshman Legislator Tour. About 80 new Missouri legislators heard the story of what Three Rivers is doing for our stu­dents and our region.

There have been numerous donations includ­ing 32.9 acres of land donated by Scott Mat­thews, valued at approximately $2 million. The land adjoins Matthews’ previous donation where the college is building our Eastern Campus.

We are continuing to build our staffing to meet needs, increasing payroll about 28 percent in the past three years.

And in June 2013, the Three Rivers Board of Trustees approved the largest budget in the his­tory of the college, with $23.9 million in the op­erating budget plus $10.5 million in the capital budget. Combined, this $34.4 million budget will create a $206 million economic impact on the re­gion as these dollars are spent in the area. Also contributing to the area economy is the more than $25 million in financial aid that Three Rivers awards to students each year.

Three Rivers is nearing completion of a $2.2 million transformation of the Academic Resource Commons into a one-stop hub for all academic support services on the Poplar Bluff campus.