WNCC 2010 Self-Study Report - Western Nebraska Community ...

An Associate’s Degree of Nursing degree was developed in 2006 after a study conducted in 2005
by the Clarus Corporation indicated that a significant number of health care employers in the
Panhandle and along the Front Range of Colorado needed to hire personnel, although the number
of qualified applicants would not be adequate to meet the projected need. The intent of the
program is directly tied to the authorizing language to prepare individuals for immediate entry into a
specific occupation or career (RR10).
International Students
The impetus to reach out to international students has proven successful. The 2006-2007
academic year marked the highest number (51) of international students on campus (RR 11). The
institution had reached a point at which it could not expand the number of international students
without additional resources; therefore, in spring of 2008, an employee was assigned to become a
part-time international student adviser to assist the registrar and the director of ESL studies. The
international student market is still a viable opportunity for the College.
Core Component 1b: In its mission documents, the organization recognizes
the diversity of its learners, other constituencies, and the greater society it
serves.
Western Nebraska Community College maintains a clear and definite mission and a commitment to
the diversity of its students, faculty, and staff. This commitment is communicated in documents
that are foundational to the institution.
Economic Diversity
WNCC’s mission documents are clear about equal access to education, and toward that end the
institution assists low-income students who could not otherwise attend college. Many of these
students are first-generation learners. The socioeconomic diversity of WNCC’s students is
evidenced by the fact that 68% of students receive some type of financial aid (RR 12).
Expenditures for need-based aid in 2007-2008 were $3,079,176, compared to $251,033 allocated
toward ability-based need. Of the 2,344 students enrolled in the 2007-2008 academic year, 1,117
applied for federal financial aid, and 297 of the applicants were eligible for “Automatic Zero EFC”
calculation, which indicates the lowest income and the highest need. According to this same
report, nearly two million dollars of federal grant aid was disbursed in 2007-2008.
Services to the Hispanic Community
The College’s commitment to the “success of a diverse student population, particularly those who
have been traditionally underserved” is embedded in its philosophy statement and flourishes in its
actions. The area’s Hispanic population (approximately 25% of the populace) contributes to the
cultural diversity and is valued by the institution. Efforts to reach out to the Hispanic community in
the form of bi-lingual marketing materials and targeted recruitment efforts have led to an increase
in the percentage of full-time students reporting an Hispanic origin. The percentage increased from
8% in the spring of 2000 to 14.4% in the spring of 2008, and in one year (from fall of 2007 to fall of
2008) the percentage grew from 14.4% to 17.1% (RR 13). That figure has dropped again to 14%
in the early fall reporting of 2009.
Page 48
Western Nebraska Community College