Evolving educational needs and a seven-figure annual cost prompted the landlord of Cape College Center to end the enabling agreement, according to a letter sent to the three institutions of higher learning affiliated with the center.

Neil Glass, superintendent of Cape Girardeau School District, which houses the center on its property adjacent to the district's high school, informed leaders of the schools — Southeast Missouri State University, Three Rivers College and Mineral Area College — in late December.

"My challenge to each of you is to examine what opportunities your institution can support that will prepare students for the workforce and not require a four-year degree. We have a number of students who either cannot afford to pursue a bachelor's or have no desire to obtain one. Additionally, it is not beneficial to the community for us to ignore the growing demands for skilled and certificated employees," the letter states. "It's imperative we also look at ways to alleviate the $1 million annual expense to Cape Girardeau Public Schools (CGPS) of the current structure. These two facilities serve the region and not just our district. I am confident we can come up with something more suitable that does not place the entire burden on CGPS and our taxpayers."

The educational landscape in Cape Girardeau County has changed in the interim. Mineral Area College has purchased the rights to offer courses Three Rivers College had been authorized to offer in the county, meaning Three Rivers is no longer associated with the college center. Mineral Area has also petitioned the state to allow it to offer several new courses at the center, including courses offered at SEMO. That request prompted SEMO to object, and a mediator will soon work with Mineral Area and SEMO to try to resolve the dispute. Failing that, the state Coordinating Board for Higher Education (CBHE) will decide the issue.

Glass said students in the region need more educational options.

"What's offered here in Cape is extremely limited. That cannot be disputed. We have an opportunity to connect students to their futures in their own backyard while priming talent to enter our workforce and fill the needs of local businesses," he said. "Students in this area need access to a more diverse menu of programs than those currently being offered. We should not continue to deny students the opportunity to pursue clear pathways to careers. Not only will our students and families struggle, but businesses in the area will continue to struggle to find skilled workers. Cape needs SEMO and MAC to establish a more innovative agreement for our kids."

History

Cape Girardeau County has played a prominent role in the issue of which institutions of higher education can offer academic programs in a given geographic area.

• 2003 — CBHE noted a local public university historically had been viewed as having the "right of first refusal on delivery of coursework in a county outside a community college's taxing district."
• 2005 — a dispute between SEMO and Three Rivers resulted in a lawsuit involving outreach centers in three Southeast Missouri cities — Kennett, Malden and Sikeston. Three Rivers later withdrew the suit.
• 2007 — Three Rivers asked CBHE to allow it to establish a residence center in Cape Girardeau County, which would have allowed it to offer lower division coursework as SEMO does. CBHE required Three Rivers to perform needs analysis, but a report never materialized, and the board never acted on the request.
• 2009 — SEMO, Mineral Area, Three Rivers, Cape Girardeau School District's Career and Technology Center and Southeast Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences reached an agreement that created Cape College Center. SEMO and Three Rivers would split costs, revenue and course offerings evenly. Mineral Area would offer career and technical education programs and have right of first refusal for all future associate of applied science programs in the county, with exceptions for nursing and allied health. Students at the center would officially be students enrolled at SEMO and Three Rivers and would receive credit from both institutions for their completed coursework. Students enrolled at the center would not be eligible to take classes or live on campus at SEMO.
• 2016 — Southeast Hospital pulls out of the agreement, and SEMO loses the right of first refusal for expansion of dual-credit courses in area high schools.

Enrollment at Cape College Center reached a high of 278 in 2013. Last fall, enrollment was 114.