Staff reports
The Central Wyoming College Board of Trustees on July 19 heard good news about student success and student retention from Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Cory Daly.
“All three markers of student success – enrollment, progress, and completion – show improving metrics for much of the most recent data available,” Daly wrote in her report. “CWC was one of the only schools in Wyoming to see a positive trend for enrollment this year, which was certainly helped by the jump in students coming for a Bachelor’s degree. We are leaders in the state at retaining first-time students, both full- and part-time and have the highest number of graduates when accounting for our size. In addition, this year we had the highest percentage of transfer students in Wyoming and have excellent pass rates on industry exams.”
One area of success that Daly reported was CWC’s career services program, “which has placed approximately three times as many interns this year as we have had before.”
But Daly said CWC, like other institutions across the country, is experiencing a trend of white students doing better while minority student success is still lagging behind. “As a Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institution (NASNTI), CWC is committed to strengthening our institution to serve all our students well, so this longer-lasting effect of COVID is an area of ongoing concern and emphasis,” Daly wrote.
The board also approved the 2024 budget of $41,658,388, reflecting a reduction of $2,438,497 from fiscal year 2023.
Board reports
• The CWC Library is in the process of conducting a complete inventory. The last inventory was done in 2003. Librarians will be reviewing sections of the collection that are lacking and weeding out items that are out-of-date, duplicates or not related to the CWC curriculum.
• The TRIO-Student Support Services has been working with students to apply for the Eastern Shoshone, Sky Peoples, Foster’s Outriders and Kickstart scholarships this month as well as completing the FAFSA for the 2023-24 school year.
• The Alpine Science Institute has donated vegetables from its garden to the CWC Food Pantry.
• The CWC Career Services Department has a grand total of 83 internships/job shadows during the past academic year and 17 internships/job shadows this summer.
• The Dubois Community Outreach Community Education classes for the month of June included beginning guitar, wild edible plant hike, volleyball camp, basketball camp, hand-on-history, paint-a-piece of Dubois watercolor workshop, hands-on-history rare military medley collection, safe sitter and town Tuesday.
• Admissions reports full-time equivalent enrollment is up 10% for CWC, which is the second highest in the state, and fall enrollment applications are up by 26%.
• The Lander and Alpine Science Institute Community Education Summer Programs included next level bike camp, LEAF science camp, little monkeys climbing, ethnobotany for edible and medicinal plants in Sinks Canyon, wacky fish camp, wild cats bike camp and power up expedition. CWC is also partnering again this summer with the Lights On Lander Summer Program. Every Friday, the Lights On students participate in mountain biking, archery or rock climbing classes.
• CWC and Fremont County 4-H hosted their first Livestock Judging Contest the first weekend in July. The event was hosted at the old equine facility, and the awards banquet was hosted at the new Ag and Equine complex along with tours to those who were in attendance.
• R-Rec is continuing its successful summer activities for the Fremont County community. The summer academy ended in June with great success which carried over into the launch of several other programs. Among these are Twilight Tots, Fun Foods, Little Ninjas, Taekwondo in the Park, Hot Shots Soccer Camp, Safe Sitters Essential with CPR, a movie in the park, and more.
• Wyoming PBS’ “Wyoming Chronicle” is in production for its 15th season. “Our Wyoming” premiered its new episode of “Exum’s Ridge.”
• Rusty’s Annual Scholarship & Program Campaign has generated, to date, $1,344,109, meeting its goal for the year. There have been 350 individual donors to the campaign.
• The endowment value of the foundation to date in fiscal year 2023 is $21,894,367.