Hotel could provide student housing

ROCK SPRINGS — Not long ago, largely because of the energy boom, workers could hardly find a vacant house or hotel room in Sweetwater County.

It was even harder for students at Western Wyoming Community College facing full dorms and long waiting lists.

How times have changed.

College officials are negotiating to buy the vacant Wingate Inn located about a mile from the Western Wyoming campus for use as a residence hall, administrators said.

A new student residence hall will help fill the school’s need for living quarters for full-time students.

At the behest of the WWCC Board of Trustees, the college has been negotiating with the now-defunct hotel’s owners to purchase the empty building, according to Marty Kelsey, vice president for administrative services.

Officials estimated it will cost approximately $5.3 million to buy the property and building, an adjacent lot that would be used for parking, dormitory furniture and other items.

The college recently opened a new dorm that was constructed on campus, but there are still more than 80 students on a waiting list seeking student housing.

The Wingate Inn is expected to house about 120 rent-paying students.

“We’re hoping we can get this deal done,” Kelsey said. “This would really help us with our housing situation. It would be huge for us.”

WWCC currently has six residence halls, three of which were built in 1975. Two additional dorms were built in 1985 and 1995, and another residence hall opened last year.

Kelsey said the purchase has been approved by the Wyoming Community College Commission.

The project also requires the approval of the Wyoming Legislature since any capital construction or acquisition of $1 million or greater must receive state approval, even though no state funding will be used.

“We have some money from local sources we’ve had for a while and it’s enough to pay for this residence hall,” Kelsey said. “What we didn’t have enough money to do in the last couple of years was to build a new residence hall.”

Located atop College Hill near downtown Rock Springs, WWCC is the fifth of seven community colleges in Wyoming. The school was established in 1959.

Just 40 students enrolled for college credit courses during the school’s first year. The school occupied the former Reliance High School briefly in the early 1960s, before a new $1.8 million campus was constructed in 1969.

WWCC now enrolls more than 2,500 students for college credit courses and full-time equivalent students.

About 45 percent of students come from Sweetwater County and 45 percent from surrounding counties in southwest Wyoming. Roughly 10 percent are from out of state.

Kelsey said other colleges around the region have converted hotels and motels to residence halls.

“This building is particularly attractive to us because it’s very close to the campus -it’s about 1.1 mile from the Wingate to the college entrance -and because it was built in 2005 and appears to be in wonderful shape,” he said.

Kelsey said the college hopes to have the purchase approved and in place by March, with an eye toward opening the new residence hall in August in time for the 2010-11 school year.

Free GED Month at Western Wyoming Community College

Rock Springs – February is Free GED Month at Western Wyoming Community College. To qualify for the free GED test (a $60 value), students must visit their local GED preparation center and complete an assessment. The assessment will indicate if there are any areas in which they need to study. There is a $5 fee for the assessment.

The student must show that they have the skills to pass the entire test before the fee will be paid for them. Actual GED testing must begin before February 28 to qualify.

GED Preparation Centers are located in Rock Springs, Green River, Kemmerer and Big Piney, Pinedale and Wamsutter. Instructors are available to help them prepare for the test.

Last year, WWCC awarded more than 30 test fees in the four communities. Director Jami Anderson said, “We would like to encourage people to come into their local GED center now so that they can be prepared to take the test in February. It is not an easy test and people often need time to study in order to pass it.”

For more information, contact Jami Anderson at 382-1829.

New Student Registration Program

Attention all new students preparing to attend Western Wyoming Community College for the Spring 2010 semester. On Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 12:30 p.m. all full-time students and transfer students with less than 12 transferable credits or a college GPA below 2.0 are required to be on campus to register for their classes.

Student are able to register for the program by either going online, http://www.wwcc.wy.edu/advising/orientationreg.htm or by phone at 307-382-1827 or 800-226-1181 ext. 1827. There is also a parent session being held on campus that day during the student registration program. Parents will have a chance to meet WWCC staff and faculty and will also have the chance to attend the "Nuts and Bolts" session which talks about ideas and tools for parents to support their college student.

New Head Coach at Western!

Western Wyoming Community College has a new wrestling head coach. Art Castillo of Green River, Wyoming is now the Mustangs Wrestling Coach. In addition, Nick Mamalis is the new assistant coach. Like Art, Nick is also from Green River, Wyoming. Nick wrestled for Western Wyoming Community College following high school. Check out the article posted in the Green River Star last Wednesday by clicking on the title.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Western Wyoming Community College wishes everbody a safe and happy Thanksgiving! Offices will be re-open on Monday the 30th of December.

Record Number Attend Choices Program!

If you missed The Choices Program on Tuesday, November 10th, you missed out on a record crowd. About one hundred and eighty six students and twenty six parents flooded the halls of Western Wyoming Community College to get more information about degree programs, students life, financial aid and online learning. If you missed this great day, you can schedule a campus visit by going to http://www.wwcc.wy.edu/ , click on Apply for Admissions, and click on Visiting WWCC. Come get a tour and your questions answered by one of our oustanding Student Ambassadors! We look forward to seeing you!

Choices is this coming Tuesday the 10th!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 is Western's Choices day! Make sure you reserve your spot. Go to our home page and scroll to the bottom. Click on the Choices - Fall Preview Day link and enter your information to reserve your spot. This is a free program and we encourage students to bring parents. This is a chance to visit Western Wyoming Community College and get your questions answered.The Choices program is designed for high school junior, seniors and their parents to learn about the choices regarding college. The day will consist of sessions talking about college life, on-campus living and career choices. The parents sessions include information on Financial Aid, Housing and adjustment to college issues. Free lunch is provided for all who attend.

If you have any questions please contact Admissions at 307-382-1648 or 800-226-1181.

See you on Tuesday the 10th!

Ladies Hockey Club!

It still is not too late to become involved with Western Wyoming Community College Ladies Hockey Club! If you have the slightest interest in learning more about hockey, please join us at the skating rink every Sunday at 5:45 p.m and Wednesday at 8:15 p.m. Practice consists of skating drills and puck handling. If you do not have any equipment, do not worry! The Ladies Hockey Club will help you find some. The Ladies Hockey Club welcomes all ability levels and any student taking one credit or more. We also welcome faculty and staff to join in on the fun! For more information please contact Heather at extention 1790 or hsanders@wwcc.wy.edu. See you on the ice!!

CHOICES - Fall Preview Day!

Come join us at Choices on Tuesday, November 10 2009.

Choices program is designed for high school junior, seniors and their parents to learn about the choices regarding college. The day will consist of sessions talking about college life, on-campus living and career choices. Parents are encouraged to attend the Parent Workshops on Financial Aid, Housing and adjustment to college issues. Free lunch is provided for all who attend.

If you have any questions please contact Admissions at 307-382-1648 or 800-226-1181.

HAPPY 50th, WESTERN WYOMING COMMUNITY COLLEGE!!!

WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously passed legislation sponsored by Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., commemorating the 50th anniversary of Western Wyoming Community College. The bill’s passage marks the first piece of legislation written by Lummis to pass the U.S. House.

“Across our nation, community colleges play a vital role in the higher education system,” Lummis said. “No state feels their significance more than the state of Wyoming. Wyoming is almost 100,000 square miles and is served by one four-year University. Western is the fifth of seven comprehensive community colleges that bridge this geographic span, making college affordable and accessible across the state.”

“Western has been a pillar in our state’s educational community since 1959. The work being done there is absolutely critical to the future of Wyoming and its people. I congratulate the school’s board, educators, students and Sweetwater County for fifty years of success.

H.Res. 696 recognizes 50 years of achievement and service by Western Wyoming Community College. Western began in the fall of 1959 serving only 40 students out of Rock Springs High School. Today, they have an award-winning campus on College Drive in Rock Springs, as well as an extended campus in Green River, which collectively serves 4,000 credit and 2,000 community education students each semester.

Western serves Sweetwater, Uinta, Carbon, Sublette, and Lincoln counties – all of Southwestern Wyoming. It is a valued partner with industry, education, and local business in its service area to provide transfer and technical education, workforce training, cultural and athletic activities, and community education courses.

For more information on WWCC’s 50th anniversary celebration visit: http://www.wwcc.wy.edu/50years.

Website<http://lummis.house.gov/