CWC Jackson's 1st dean

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

By Sam Petri

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-As the first Associate Dean of Central Wyoming College’s Jackson Campus, Mike Tomlin’s first job is to let people know there’s an outlet for higher education in our community.

“We don’t fix it by telling people there’s a college here, we fix it by providing programs that will get people involved,” said Tomlin, who aims to bolster the college’s presence in town by offering a wider variety of classes.

With a doctorate in administration from the University of Wyoming, a masters in community college administration from Oklahoma Central State University, and a Bachelor of Science Degree from Southern Nazarene University he just might be the man for the job.

“This is the fourth higher education institute I’ve worked in, and I’ve always worked in outreach. All of my work has been program development,” said Tomlin.
Until recently CWC’s Jackson campus was strictly an “outreach center,” which meant it had no dean, only directors. It was, therefore, difficult for new programs to be developed.

Now, with Tomlin as its first dean, Jackson has joined the ranks of Riverton – CWC’s flagship campus – in that it is no longer considered an outreach center but an actual campus.

“The purpose is to put more autonomy here,” he said, “and let us be a little bit faster in our responses to community needs. I will have signature and programmatic authority that doesn’t have to be subordinated to every department on campus.”
That means if you are interested in taking a class, but CWC does not yet offer it, ask Tomlin. He’s the one that can make it happen.
 
So where’s the campus? It’s more of a concept than an actual piece of land. Classes are held throughout the community, depending on the subject, but often in the Center for the Arts and at Jackson Hole High School after hours. The main administrative offices are located on the ground level of the Center for the Arts, just down the hallway from the University of Wyoming offices.

In fact, Tomlin has been working with Syd Elliott of UW along with Teton County School District Superintendent Pam Shea to see how all three schools can work together to set up dual enrollment programs for students.

Tomlin just moved here from Boise, Idaho, where he was the director of George Fox University’s MBA program at their Boise campus. He plans to live within the community and not commute from another nearby town. Although new to town – he’s been here about 20 days – Tomlin was married at Jackson Lake Lodge and has a connection to the valley. When living in Rock Springs, he used to vacation here with this family.

Right now his goal is to match CWC’s new programming with Jackson’s community needs.

“We might have people who could use vocational training in terms of becoming an electrician,” he said. “We might have people who need to learn auto CAD or we might have people who want to take and accounting class for small business. We might have people that want to get their associates degree in business administration. Those are things we don’t yet know.”

Tomlin plans to visit as many businesses in town to see who they hire and what type of classes business owners would benefit from. 

Tuition at CWC is fairly cheap, $83 a credit. Most classes cost $250; however, if needed, federal financial aid is available. Visit www.fafsa.ed.gov to complete the free application. Limited scholarship money is also available, which was donated through the Community Foundation’s Old Bill’s Fun Run.

To find out more about both aid outlets, visit CWC’s website, www.cwc.edu, or call  733-7425.

Photo by Derek Diluzio
Michael Tomlin is the first associate dean of Jackson’s Central Wyoming College campus.

PERMALINK:
CWC Jackson's 1st dean | Planet JH News Article: General Article

Leave a Comment