By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Between students on campus, online students, and international student partnership programs, Fort Hays State University had a total enrollment of 16,984 students for academic year 2023.
Slightly more than 2,000 of those students came from Ellis County. There were another 4,731 students from western Kansas.
The economic impact of Fort Hays State on Ellis County in fiscal year 2022 is estimated between $167.8 million and $239.2 million dollars.
President Tisa Mason spoke to Hays city commissioners Nov. 9 about the university's mission and updated commitments.
Two years ago, FHSU began exploring a strategic affiliation with NCK Technical College in Hays and Beloit, and Northwest Technical College in Goodland.
Campus committees and governing boards of the three institutions approved the affiliation in January. It was passed by the Kansas legislature in the 2023 session.
Next comes a request for the Higher Learning Commission's approval and finalizing a formal affiliation agreement in the summer of 2024.
The goal, says Mason, is to be able to start admitting students under the new structure by fall 2024.
"We want to help western Kansas by no longer working in competition or even a simple cooperation, but strategically joining forces and working together to help students, businesses, and western Kansas communities to thrive," Mason said.
The basic structure is a governance transfer from the local technical college boards to FHSU, with all three institutions keeping their separate funding streams and Higher Learning Commission accreditations.
The schools will unite with one brand - Tigers - and utilize the colors black and gold.
"That has passed both the tech college boards unanimously," Mason said.
Fort Hays State's annual legislative budget request is underway with four "asks" that have been endorsed by the Kansas Board of Regents.
The nursing program at Fort Hays State is focused on working in rural Kansas.
Based on consistent pass rates of 100% in the doctorate of nursing practice program and a pass rate of 100% on-track this year for the bachelor of science in nursing, the Kansas Board of Nursing has allowed the department to increase undergraduate student enrollment by 67%.
Mason said she finds that "incredible" and "there is a waiting list" of prospective nursing students.
To accommodate the increase, FHSU will ask the legislature for $15 million to add two floors on top of the Stroup Building, home to the nursing department. Another recurring $400,000 will be requested to hire more nursing faculty as well as to build a simulation lab.
FHSU wants $750,000 to create a centralized professional and continuing education unit to deliver workforce development.
"We want to drive technical education, specialized certifications, and respond to the rapidly growing need for re-skilling and up-skilling, especially as artificial intelligence and other trends significantly interrupt the work environment as we know it today."
"I'm so impressed by this," said Sandy Jacobs, vice-mayor. "We need it so badly."
Smaller budget requests will be made for the other two initiatives.
A request for $250,000 for five years will be made for telehealth certification for mental health providers and to increase the counseling program capacity by 50 students.
A review of data provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on mental health professional shortage areas indicates most of Kansas falls into that category.
The fourth funding request for a recurring $220,000 would be used to establish assistantships designed to support businesses and schools that need help with technology services.
"Our graduate program in computer science is growing online. We want to bring some of those students into our community and get them on campus.
"We want to take some of their time and put them in schools, non-profits, small businesses, to help them with their computer and IT needs."
The federal and state governments are all committed to broadband expansion, especially in rural communities such as those in the FHSU service area.
"It will be critical to have a support system in place," Mason said.
"I can't wait to see in about five years where all this will have gone," said Shaun Musil, mayor, "especially for small businesses. It's very much appreciated."