I teach two classes at Rocky Mountain College, but one of them is early in the morning and the other is late in the evening. I'm rarely around during normal hours, and I'm not on campus e-mail. So perhaps it's not too surprising that I didn't hear about this until I got up this morning. Quite likely, I was the very last Rocky employee to know.
So I skipped reporting on the story in blissful ignorance. But it made me wonder: If I had gotten my hands on that e-mail Tuesday afternoon, with the eerie note that essentially asks me as a faculty member not to talk to myself as a reporter, would I have gotten the story in this week's Outpost? A year ago I think the answer would have been easy. But how willing would I be now to risk the job that supports me in order to shore up the nonpaying hobby that is slowly grinding me down?
The correct response may be this: When you start asking yourself that kind of question, you already know the answer.
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When Dr. DeRosier was hired there were 200 full time students on campus and the school was very near closing.
I didnt give it much thought when they laid off staff a couple of months ago. I used to teach in the Community Outreach Program which was phased out when Dr. DeRosier retired and John Cech left for the COT. To use a cliche', Dr. Derosier and John Cech thought outside the box. They brought new programs to campus and built them up. Many adults took classes from the Outreach Program and there were times when it was hard to get into various computer courses because they filled so fast.
While I dont know the current President, it would seem that Rocky has gone back to being an ivory tower liberal arts school for rich Eastern kids. There is definitely an attitude they have nothing to offer a non-traditional student and there are not recruited or wanted on campus.
The geology program has been watered down as well..
Anonymous, I don't how things used to be, but ivory tower kids from the East certainly doesn't describe my students. I haven't added up the numbers, but they predominantly are rural Montanans, many from farming and ranching families.
They must be playing sports then. When I thought about earning a second degree RMC wasn't even an option in anyway. The kids at MSU-Billings are being priced out, I honestly dont know how they make it at Rocky. I was talking to a yo8ng man back from Iraq the other day who told me he had enrolled at MSU-B. Tuition for the semester was $2400.00 and books were $600.00!
It would be a trmendous blow to Billings if RMC ever closed but I can see the sharks circling who would love to get their hands on that little piece of Real Estate.
Anonymous, One way they do it is by giving nearly everybody some sort of financial aid. Word is that that's one reason the school is in financial trouble: Enrollment has increased, but the share of tuition actually paid has gone down, leaving cash flow in the red.
That is very plausible. A co-workers daughter is attending RMC and it is probably costing them less out of pocket than if she was attending MSU-Billings because of all the scholarships, fee waivers etc. Some of which I am pretty sure is unfunded.
I wonder how many other cities this size have what we have in terms of post-secondary education opportunities?
"The building's main and side entrances were locked as the meeting was under way, and construction paper covered the glass doors to the Great Hall, where the trustees met."
Never fear, Harrison G. Fagg will bring 'em back from the brink!
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