Budget cuts force closing of Waco campus
By Bobby Moore
rmoor01@highlands.edu
Staff writer
The Waco campus in Haralson County will close its doors at the end of the semester.
The campus, which opened in 1996, is a casualty of a 5 percent budget cut proposed by the Chancellor's Office for 2005.
According to Georgia Highlands College President Dr. Randy Pierce, the elimination of the Waco campus �was only a matter of when.� He said, �It was not something we liked doing, but no other good choices were left.�
At Waco, the campus has steadily averaged from 150 to 160 students per semester.
This is a very flat enrollment compared to the Rome Campus, which grows 15 percent per semester, and the Acworth and Cartersville campuses, where enrollment has seen a 20 percent increase per semester.
All full-time faculty members at the Waco campus have been placed elsewhere.
Dr. Nancy Applegate, associate professor of English, has taught at Waco two days a week every semester over the past five years.
Applegate said, �I did not mind the drive, but I will enjoy being in Rome with my colleagues all week. I'm sad it is closing and I understand why, but I hope something is done in the future to serve this group of students.�
Susan Claxton, former Waco campus director, is very emotional about the closing. She said, �The Haralson County campus was like a miniature family. It is where I got my first college teaching experience. I loved all my students, and they gave me my first doses of confidence as a teacher. It (Waco) is one more spoke of the wheel that makes me the person I am today.�
Some students, especially non traditional students, will be hindered by the closing.
According to Pierce, �We try to make decisions that will have the least impact on students, but we are to the point where that cannot be an option. We know that there will be a negative impact and we may lose some students.�
Melissa Stevens, a student worker at Waco, is among those who will be affected. She says, �I will have to find employment elsewhere this summer. I know I will be okay since I will probably be at the Rome campus in the fall, but I feel bad for others.�
Stevens feels that more promotion would have helped the Waco campus, especially after the opening of West Central Technical College.
Students from Waco will be assisted in finding a schedule next fall if they are interested in attending another FC campus.
An attempt will be made to give students a Monday-Wednesday or Tuesday-Thursday class schedule to help cut down on travel time and expenses.
Pierce said, �We hope for those students who have enough hours to transfer to West Georgia or Kennesaw State or another local four-year college.�
When asked about the closing and its effect on the entire FC community, Pierce said, �Anytime you can make yourself a little more efficient, it is like taking off a little weight and becoming leaner.�
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