By SCOTT AUST
Garden City Community College and Kansas State University announced today a new partnership that will allow GCCC students to complete bachelor’s degrees through K-State without leaving Garden City.
Students will complete 60 to 75 credits of coursework at GCCC then be able to complete and finish bachelor’s degrees locally with K-State. The programs to be initiated under the partnership include agriculture (animal science, crop science and agribusiness), education, and health and human sciences.
“This is truly a monumental day for Garden City and Finney County. We’ve listened to our stakeholders on the needs and the goals to build this partnership around,” GCCC President Dr. Ryan Ruda said during an agreement signing ceremony with KSU President Richard Linton on the GCCC campus.
Calling it a hybrid system, the new program will include both online instruction as well as on-site, in person classroom instruction in Garden City.
“While online learning is an option, it’s not always the best option. Having face to face hybrid learning is the mode we’ve built the partnership around,” Ruda said.
The program will include Agriculture, Education and Health and Human Sciences degrees. GCCC and K-State will soon launch a community survey to shape additional program offerings based on regional industry needs, according to a press release.
Ruda said plans for the collaboration have been discussed for well over a year and noted the significant amount of work performed by many individuals and organizations, including the City of Garden City, Finney County Economic Development, the Board of Trustees and others.
“This work did not just happen. It took courage, leadership, and vision,” Ruda said.
Ruda said local entities have long discussed the need to have bachelor’s degree completion opportunities available in Garden City.
Southwest Kansas is considered a “higher education desert” since the nearest university is more than 100 miles away which limits degree completion opportunities. He noted the educational attainment gap in the region which indicates only 17.9 percent of Finney County residents hold a bachelor’s degree compared to the state average of 33.9 percent.
“It is imperative that we find solutions, that we find partners, and we work to retain talent and workforce in Finney County,” he said.
KSU President Linton said the partnership is a direct reflection of K-State’s unwavering land grant promise to make higher education accessible to all Kansans no matter where they live.
“It’s with great pride and excitement that I’m here today to speak about the transformational partnership between Kansas State University and Garden City Community College,” Linton said. “The power of education transforms lives. I’ve seen it happen time and time again. With this new collaborative effort, we’re bringing that power directly to southwest Kansas.”
Linton said the innovative partnership between K-State and GCCC breaks down barriers faced in rural communities by offering the flexibility of remote and onsite hands-on learning in high demand fields like agriculture, education and health care.
Another benefit both Linton and Ruda mentioned is the ability to retain workers in the area and improve workforce opportunities, something local leaders have long discussed.
“Together we are creating a brighter future for southwest Kansas for generations to come one graduate at a time,” Linton said.
Diana Mendoza, Kansas Board of Regents member from Dodge City, said the partnership represents a critical step in addressing educational access in southwest Kansas.
“By bringing bachelor’s degree programs directly to Garden City we’re not just expanding educational pathways, we’re investing in our communities’ economic future, empowering local students to gain advanced degrees without leaving their hometown,” she said.
K-State Provost Jesse Mendez said K-State is committed to being a next-generation land grant university by providing high quality educational programs that meet the evolving needs of students and industries.
GCCC student Nathan Peters, who plans to transfer to K-State next year, praised the partnership and the opportunities it presents for students like himself to complete a four-year degree while staying in the community.
Peters said coming from an immigrant and agriculture background, it can be daunting to figure out how to pay for college while also sometimes trying to figure out what you want to do with your life. He said GCCC allowed him to figure out both issues, while also allowing him to stay at home, work and build relationships.
Another challenge when thinking about completing a four-year degree is determining what credits will transfer and the difficulty of the process.
“The strong relationship between K-State and Garden City has made this process extremely easy,” Peters said. “All my questions about transferring to K-State were fully answered. The shared commitment between Garden City and K-State will let more people … access higher education.”
