Newman University to expand SW Kansas opportunities

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Wichita college will get to expand the work it is already doing to provide four-year degrees in southwest Kansas. Newman University is getting $1.2 million in federal funding for its Higher Education Access for Western Kansas Initiative (NU-HAWK).

“We’re pleased to be able to announce today in support of that effort to expand additional four-year education, four-year degree education in southwest Kansas, that Newman is the recipient of an appropriations bill for $1.2 million,” Senator Jerry Moran said on Monday.

Newman University began helping the Dodge City area after St. Mary of the Plains College closed there in the 1990s.

“This long-standing relationship with Dodge City now has become an increased relationship, not only in Dodge City but in Liberal and in Garden City with the community colleges that are there, so that we can be offering four-year degrees on their campuses,” Kathleen Jagger, Newman president, said.

Students do not have to come to Wichita to get a degree from Newman. Newman partners with Dodge City Community College , Garden City Community College , and Seward County Community College . It will offer a data analytics agribusiness degree, along with teaching, nursing and business degrees in southwest Kansas.

“We’re excited that, at least in these limited number of program areas that we’ve provided so far, that this region of southwest Kansas will be less of an education desert for higher education,” Jagger said.

She said some of the $1.2 million will help buy a mobile smart agricultural lab for agribusiness students to get hands-on learning. Some money will also go toward more classrooms with cameras and smart televisions for online classes and face-to-face education.

Newman also will set up office space across from Garden City Community College for new agribusiness professors and an advisor.

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