Regents consider new community college

After five years, Laurie Jakober is just weeks away from getting a double major in history and political science. 

“It’s been a long road,” she said. 

The 42-year-old University of Montana student spends four hours a day driving round trip between her home in Conner, south of Darby, and the UM campus, except on the nights she decides to stay in Missoula and sleep in her car.

“It’s not worth it to drive back home and I have an 8 o’clock class in the morning,” she said.

Her family has had to cut back on the amount of food it buys to pay for gas.

But with gas prices lower and the holidays getting closer, she’s been coming home more often. She wants to watch her 15-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son play basketball. She’s been married to her husband, a fisheries biologist, for 20 years.

Jakober wants to be a high school teacher, which would mean taking occasional classes to maintain her teaching certification. She wants a shorter drive and an accessible school for her daughter.

That is why she was one of more than 20 Montana residents who lined up behind a microphone at the Montana Board of Regents’ meeting Thursday to voice their support of the proposed Bitterroot Valley Community College.

But despite its advocates, the fate of the college remains uncertain. Some Regents and members of the community question the suggested timeline for the college, which asserts that students would be ready to enroll in classes next fall. Others are concerned the BVCC would draw students away from other Montana universities, especially UM, which would be closest to the new campus.

President George Dennison told the board he does not oppose constructing the community college and that UM would be willing to provide assistance to the campus.

“I am passionate about education and I’m passionate about making sure education is available to everyone,” he said.

Residents of Ravalli County, where the BVCC would be located, have already approved it. The Regents will modify the original draft report about the project, taking into account the comments they heard, said Board of Regents chair Stephen Barrett. The board is scheduled to discuss the changes in a board meeting via telephone Dec. 4.

The ultimate fate of the BVCC rests with the Montana Legislature, which begins its 90-day session Jan. 5.

The Board also discussed Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s proposed state budget, which was released last weekend, with Budget Director David Ewer.

Ewer said that while newspapers are reporting a $35 million increase in funding over the next two years for the state’s higher education system, funding is really only increasing by $11.5 million. The rest of the apparent increase is actually the same amount of funding as before, adjusted for inflation.

Several UM workers told Regents during the public comment session that the University doesn’t pay them a living wage and asked the board to increase funding for worker salaries.

Tammy McKee, a staff member in Continuing Education, said she has to work a second job and has had to visit the Montana Food Bank.

“It’s humiliating,” she said.

Barrett said that while he certainly hopes the board is able to improve workers’ salaries, dividing the budget is like deciding the best way to distribute the pieces of the pie.

“There are many more good problems than there are good solutions,” he said.

On a lighter note, the Regents appointed UM marketing professor Jakki Mohr to the position of Regents Professor, the highest honor in the Montana University System. She is the eighth UM professor to receive the award.

“Were I not at the University of Montana, I don’t think my career would have flourished the way that it has,” she said.

Because the discussion of the BVCC took longer than scheduled, the Regents were not able to go through all the items on their agenda. They will begin their second day of meetings Friday at 8:30 a.m.

allison.maier@umontana.edu