It has been two years since we established local control of Gillette College, and the time has gone quickly. Here are a few updates as we look towards celebrating another year of being the eighth and newest community college in Wyoming!
Staff and Faculty Transfer
All faculty and staff members have transitioned from Sheridan College employees to Gillette College employees. The transition of staff and faculty happened over the past year among different groups of employees transferring to the new district last summer, at the end of 2022, and ending when faculty signed contracts with Gillette Community College District this summer. It was a long process, but we’re pleased that the new district now employs all employees on the Gillette College campus.
Building Our Own Infrastructure
A new website was published in early spring and is routinely updated as we build our online presence. The Information Technology department has been busy laying the groundwork for the new district to have its own stand-alone Wi-Fi in all the buildings. They are also diligently working to set up all of the infrastructure on the back end to have our own systems for enrollment, financial aid, accounting, and human resources.
First Budget Incorporating Full Costs
The budget approved by the Board of Trustees in July for Fiscal year 2024 is the first one that comprehensively covers all expenses related to running the district. This budget encompasses new non-degree programs that support the development of an educated and skilled workforce in our service area. Specifically, we are building a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Program under our Career and Technical Education School. To view the entire budget, please click HERE.
Accreditation
When Gillette Community College District came into existence, it started the clock for work on becoming independently accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. For the past year, our faculty and staff have worked on collecting documentation to show that Gillette College is ready to stand on its own. On June 30, 2023, the first step in our accreditation journey was complete with submitting our Application to the Higher Learning Commission. The Eligibility Interview with HLC is August 30, 2023. Upon interview completion, we will better understand the areas where additional work is required and a timeline for submitting the Letter of Intent to Submit Eligibility Filing. Each of these steps leads us to Candidacy and Initial Accreditation. Upon reaching Candidacy, we may begin standing up our Federal Financial Aid program and apply for the .edu address. These are all important milestones for our district. To gain further understanding of the accreditation work ahead, do not hesitate to review the process HERE .
Elected Board of Trustees
On August 17, 2021, when the voters of Campbell County elected seven local trustees to oversee the Gillette Community College District, it set in motion the first time Gillette College had local leadership. Those seven trustees meet monthly in meetings open to the public. The schedule of upcoming meetings, as well as past board meeting minutes, can be found HERE.
All Residence Halls In Use
Inspiration Hall is no longer empty with the arrival of our student-athletes! It feels good to have students in ALL the residence halls again. And for the first time, we have students living on the third floor of I-Hall with the installation of our stand-alone Wi-Fi. Utilizing the entire building will be vital as our student population grows.
Also, with the opening of I-Hall, food service has returned to campus! Partnering with the company Fresh Ideas Food Service, High Plains Grill has reopened to service students and will open to the public at the end of August. More details are to be released soon.
Athletics Have Returned
Men’s and women’s soccer and basketball have returned, along with the addition of women’s volleyball. You can view the Fall home games schedule here or visit gcpronghorns.com for more information on our Pronghorn teams!
Energy City Voices Is Back
The Gillette College Energy City Voices is a nationally touring show choir based in Gillette, WY. Energy City Voices also offers scholarship opportunities for members to tour throughout the United States and internationally while attending college.
