IECC Chancellor Asking the Public to Contact Their Lawmakers

(Undated) — IECC Chancellor, Dr. Ryan Gower, is asking the public to contact state lawmakers and show their support for the Community College Baccalaureate legislation. The new program would allow community colleges, like the IECC schools, to offer four-year bachelor’s degrees. The program is designed to make degrees more accessible while meeting the needs of employers in key sectors and keeping education costs low for students and working families. Gower says when students leave our communities to pursue a bachelor’s degree, too often, they don’t come back. For those with jobs, kids, or family obligations, uprooting their lives just isn’t an option. He says that is why IECC strongly supports the Community College Baccalaureate legislation now being considered in Springfield. This focused, workforce-driven proposal would allow select community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees only in high-demand fields. Programs that are critically needed in rural areas and not easily accessible to this unique student population.