Panola
College president addresses League of Women Voters
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Panola College may be one of the most valuable, but underused, resources in Harrison County, according to President Gregory Powell.
Powell spoke to the Marshall/Harrison County League of Women Voters at its Tuesday meeting.
A complicated organizational plan, set up by the Texas Legislature, mandated that Panola College should serve four East Texas counties — Harrison, Marion, Panola and Shelby. But only Panola County provides a local tax base for two-year institute, providing 37-percent of its operating and maintenance funds. Another 30-percent comes from the state — a mixed blessing, since no state money can be used to construct or maintain buildings, according to Powell. Moreover, he said that state support had dwindled in 10 years from nearly 60 percent of operating funds to its present level. Meanwhile, the college has enjoyed 35-percent growth in that same decade.
"Our actual dollars, not just the percentage of state support, has shrunk," he said.
Powell provided the level of enrollment for all the counties in its service area. Not surprising was Panola County, with 26-percent of the total enrollment. Shelby County had 24-percent but Harrison County, with the largest population base, was only 19-percent of the total enrollment, with 48 of those students receiving institutional scholarships worth $93,644 last year.
Panola County students receive a tuition break, paying only $644 for a 12-hour semester. But the $948 required for students in the other three counties is less than that of the other three colleges in Harrison County and far less than the private or four-year universities in the area.
According to information provided by the Comptroller of Public Accounts, annual tuition and fees for East Texas Baptist University are $14,680, Texas State Technical College are $2,820, Wiley College are $6,450. Baylor students can be expected to be charged $24,490, Texas A&M $7,266 and the University of Texas at Tyler, $8,000. Cost alone could be the reason half of all Texans spent their first two years in a community college before enrolling in a senior college or university. But Powell pointed out that college students beginning their study at a community college are more likely to graduate.
It is a given that completing high school, then college, mean better jobs and more opportunities, but Powell said that in Texas, "our education pipeline is leaking badly."
"We are less educated than we were 10 years ago," he said. "Of 100 potential students, only 18 will graduate from college and only 68 will even finish high school."
Of the 50 community colleges in Texas and 991 in the nation, Panola is considered one of the best. Its large offering of 112 on-line courses makes it in the top 10 digital colleges in America. More than 4,000 people are enrolled.
High schools in Panola and Shelby counties have taken advantage of digital access and offer college courses on the high school campus.
"When we have 14 or more enrolled, we send an instructor to the class," said Powell.
A representative of the college has visited with every school district about the online opportunities available to their students, said Powell.
"The offer is out there to all the schools in Harrison County," he said. "But the school districts don't take advantage of our offer."
Additionally, Stephen F. Austin State University offers a $1,500 scholarship to any Panola College student with a 3.0 grade average. For someone with a 3.5 average, the scholarship is $2,000.
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