As a local coalition of business and community leaders works toward expanding higher education opportunities in the region, the state is encouraging them to work efficiently to develop a solution.

At its meeting today, the Coordinating Board for Higher Education will consider a resolution regarding the work of the coalition, which includes officials from Southeast Missouri State University, Mineral Area College, Three Rivers Community College and members of the business community.

The coordinating board, which oversees public higher education in the state, is composed of nine members who are appointed to six-year terms by the governor. Cape Girardeau businesswoman Kathy Swan chairs the board.

The measure commends the participating business and education leaders for their work. It also recommends they continue working together to implement a solution that does not duplicate existing options.

The coalition has been meeting for 18 months. Last year its members pooled their resources to fund a $70,000 study to determine whether a community college is needed in the area. The study presented four options beyond establishing a new community college with a voter-approved taxing district.

Dr. Robert Stein, commissioner of higher education, has been working with the coalition. He said the group will meet in August to discuss proposals.

Any solution involving additional degree programs would require approval by the coordinating board, Stein said. If they decide to expand program capacities or recruiting methods, he said, the board would not be involved.

Coalition members could work together or separately to bring options forward during their next meeting, he said.

"They indicated that they would share with each other in advance so that it would be a productive meeting to talk about different ideas and see if they could come to an agreement," he said.

The August meeting will be the first since the study was released in April. The involved institutions have been digesting the information and recommendations in the 238-page report, said John Mehner, president of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. He said the group's progress will depend on the number of proposals.

"If we come in and it's all over the board and people still have 14 ways they want to do this, then we're probably not going to get there in one meeting," he said.

"The biggest challenge to me is to think wide and big and expand one's view of the long term," he said.

abusch@semissourian.com

388-3627

<form method="post" action="http://www.semissourian.com/scripts/poll/vote.php">Do you think there is a need for more higher education opportunities in the Cape Girardeau area?&nbsp;Yes, a new community college and taxing district should be established &nbsp;Yes, the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center should be converted into a full community college &nbsp;Yes, a community college should establish a regional center here &nbsp;Yes, but only by expanding program and course options at area institutions &nbsp;No, the current opportunities are sufficient &nbsp;Other opinion