State senators discuss higher education at Three Rivers College | News

POPLAR BLUFF, MO (KFVS) - Several Missouri state senators visited Three Rivers College Tuesday.

The meeting was held Tuesday, December 11th, at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center in Poplar Bluff.

The meeting is part of an effort to improve the quality of higher education in Missouri.

Sen. Doug Libla, 25th District; Sen. Ron Richard, 32nd District; Sen. Jay Wasson, 20th District; Sen. Mike Cunningham, 33rd District; and Sen. Wayne Wallingford, 27th District. Attending from Three Rivers were Dr. Devin Stephenson, President; Dr. Wesley Payne, Vice President for Learning; Dr. Angela Totty, Vice President for Student Success; Ms. Charlotte Eubank, CFO; and Trustees Randy Winston and Wilbur Thornton attended the meeting.

The group held a round table discussion about the legislative challenges facing Three Rivers and higher education in Missouri.

Equity in funding was one of the major issues on the table, as community colleges in Missouri comprise 44% of higher education enrollment for the state, while receiving only 14% of state funding, according to the college.

The goup also discussed the need for greater accountability in remedial and compensatory education.

This is the third visit from Missouri legislators that Three Rivers College has hosted in a month. The college was one of the stops on the Freshman Legislator Tour on Nov. 29, which showcased the institution to nearly 80 new lawmakers. The college also hosted a Legislative Brunch and Roundtable on Dec. 6 to discuss similar issues.

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