by John Merlette, Bigfork, MT
The Flathead Valley Community College is obviously an asset for the county and for Montana. If the goal of the learning facility is to prepare our young adults for work in the service and retail industry, then the current Board of Trustees that is comprised of a banker, an events coordinator/account rep, a ski patroller and an attorney, will continue to see that the college churns out graduates with limited practical (marketable) skills.
Perhaps it is time for a new vision, one that improves the curriculum with emphasis on expertise in advanced technical fields. In Utah, the technical colleges created Centers of Excellence with emphasis on the field of Advanced Composite materials. Graduates with the specialized technical skills required for aerospace manufacturing became long-term assets for businesses drawn to Salt Lake City because of the labor market of well-trained people. I know because I owned such a business there, designing and manufacturing the type of high performance, graphite-composite prosthetic feet you may have seen on television. The people I hired to fabricate the devices were skilled technicians, not Liberal Arts majors.
The FVCC Board of Trustees needs members who know science and engineering, who have worked in high-tech business environments and from what I can see, no candidate is better qualified than Dr. Edwin Berry. I’ve met Dr. Berry and know that he has the energy and dedication to elevate the standards at FVCC to the level that will attract new businesses with high-paying technical jobs. Under Dr. Berry’s guidance and the business experience of the other challengers for the trustee positions, graduates will remain here rather than leaving the state to seek whatever work they can find.
John Merlette
Bigfork, MT
john@redjohnbooks.com
LET’S BRING NEW PERSPECTIVES TO THE FVCC BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Just what is education? Is it simply learning skills and technologies needed for a job? Or should it also provide the ability to think, analyze and contribute to the kind of society in which we live and raise our children? We need awareness of changes and events impacting our immediate lives and communities, as well as at national and international levels. College should provide knowledge not only to achieve higher income levels but also to become informed citizens and wise voters. Educators are in position to provide a balanced learning experience preparing graduates with intellect as well as skills for a more productive life.
Unfortunately the trend in our national education system has long been toward teaching “what to think” rather than “how to think”. Even studies of our own Constitution and history of our country have been either neglected or become extremely biased. Students are generally not provided the opportunity or encouragement to perform analytical research and debate essential to formation of philosophical opinions and beliefs. Communication and idea exchange stimulate interest and insight into the political process. Informed voters strive to select qualified leadership responsible for policy-making essential to creating a healthy economy. A purely “jobs”oriented population generally “reacts to” rather than “influences” governmental structure essential for job creation.
When a school of advanced learning, maintains an ongoing board of trustees consisting of like minds and convictions, the curriculum and selection of teachers reflects conformity to a similar, limited mindset. Whether intentional or not, graduates conditioned to a uniform set of beliefs may become skilled in fields of employment, while remaining unprepared to rationalize and cope with the rapidly changing, even threatening, political and economic trends. Students need the freedom and opportunity to explore and debate a variety of ideas and philosophies without reflection on their grades. For example, if the teaching staff becomes primarily liberal in support of government funding and financial management, the importance of the profit motivated capitalistic form of government will likely be down-played, even ridiculed. This while exalting socialistic concepts of extensive government control of resources with governmental provision of services and funding. Pros and cons should be explored and debated.
Over past years no opponents for trustee positions have been provided. FVCC board of trustees incumbents have filled vacancies by “invitation and appointment” as opposed to “election” process, undoubtedly not in accordance with the by-laws. As a result even educational philosophies and curriculum have lacked scrutiny and exploration for depth and scope. This year candidates with a wide range of backgrounds and expertise appear on the ballot for May 3 voting. They are equipped to offer broad perspectives, new challenges and dimension to college learning experience. Let’s take this opportunity to elect highly qualified new trustees, including Ed Berry, PhD. See additional public comments on website: fvcctrustees.com