    Western Nebraska Community College brings its current series of public listening sessions to Rushville today from 1-2:30 in the Security Center. All interested members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend.
Interim President John Marrin and other WNCC officials are visiting all 13 counties in its service area – the 11 in the Panhandle plus grant and a western sliver of Cherry County – are part of developing the school’s next strategic plan.
Marrin says today’s Rushville session, like all the others, will begin with a brief presentation on WNCC and its mission followed by an extended question-and-answer period. Refreshments will be provided.
They want to hear from as many people as possible on what should or shouldn’t be in the strategic plan, which will be WNCC’s vision to positively impact the education and well-being of every student, employer, and resident of the region.
Marrin says it’s vital for the school to listen to the communities it serves and find out where they see it as a college, what residents see as the future of their communities, and how WNCC can help make that future a reality.
Issues discussed at earlier sessions include expansion of non-credit training to help existing and new businesses develop employees and WNCC’s lack of visibility in the towns where it doesn’t have a campus with things like choir tours and programs by faculty members possible ways to make residents more aware of the school.
The next WNCC listening session after today will be next Wednesday in Chadron at the Bean Broker, also from 1-2:30.