By Dr. J.D. Rottweiler
Students enrolling in accounting, American Sign Language, business, CISCO networking technology, composition, math and other classes at the Cochise College Fort Huachuca Center this semester are the first to take advantage of the opportunity to learn in the former Col. Smith Middle School.
The college’s use of the facility, located on Cushing near Squier next to the new middle school, allows the Fort Huachuca Accommodation Schools to delay costly demolition of it and the college to enhance its instruction and market potential in a facility that was built for education. Being a military-friendly school – GI Jobs Magazine has named us among the top 15 percent in the nation more than once – and having offered classes on post since our earliest years in the 1960s, we see occupation of the building as an opportunity to provide even better service to soldiers and their dependents. The facility was renovated last fall to meet the needs of the classes we currently offer; now, we have the opportunity to explore expanded uses for it.
Those of you who are familiar with our relationship with the fort are aware that our military occupational specialist program, which provides soldiers with college credit for their MOS training, as well as the option to pursue a full degree, is a significant piece of our enrollment. In fact, our graduation rates in the program have leapt from 12 in 2001-02 to 873 in 2011-12.
Our MOS offerings allow us to expand offerings to military spouses and children. The general education classes offered on post are open to anyone, including civilians who don’t live there. Jim Barrows, the Fort Huachuca Center director, hopes to explore opportunities related to personal interest and short-term professional development courses, and we now have space to experiment with programs according to demand and, of course, availability of funding for things like equipment and teachers.
In the meantime, our administrative and student services offices can still be found in the Army Education Center, and the culinary arts program is keeping its home in Young Hall. While we’d like to expand that program, the resources to do so simply aren’t available at this time.
The college recognizes that defense spending is likely to decline and impact the Cochise County economy. At the same time, learning spaces on the Sierra Vista Campus, at the other end of town, are generally full, and, according to a recent report from the Center for Economic Research, more than 9,000 full-time equivalent workers are associated with the fort. We have been given a rare chance to try some things, and the two years of our agreement with the Fort Huachuca Accommodation School District should be telling in terms of the future demand for classes on post.
J.D. Rottweiler is president of Cochise College. Contact him at jdr@cochise.edu.