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Tech brings nursing, growth to Taylor 
MEET AND GREET: Bob Hickerson, center left, chief operating officer for Tech off-campus sites, discuss the future of EWCHEC with Chuck McCarter, EWCHEC director, in the moments before a press conference to announce an agreement between Tech and EWCHEC. Also pictured, left to right, are Congressman John R. Carter, Bob Rose, EWCHEC advisory council chairperson, and Jesse Ancira.
photo by JASON SCHAEFER |
By Jason Schaefer Representatives from Texas Tech University announced at a press conference they have joined the East Williamson County Higher Education Center (EWCHEC) as a partner Tuesday morning at Temple College at Taylor. The university will work to add a nursing program to EWCHEC’s curriculum. The union between EWCHEC and Tech will make opportunities for higher education more accessible to area students, and will promote growth in Taylor, several officials said. “We can’t predict the future, but what we do know is that we’ve brought on partners that have very progressive programs,” said Jason Ford, president and CEO of the Taylor Economic Development Corporation. According to congressman John R. Carter, cost of higher education and access to it is a growing issue in the region, and EWCHEC is a worthwhile solution to the problem. “There are new, innovative ideas to make education more available, and we have got to, in the 21st century, have those ... ideas so that our children will prosper,” Carter said. At the conference, Carter commended Taylor and Hutto ISDs, two major players in the EWCHEC, for progressive thinking and for developing a higher education program that will provide multiple dimensions of study for students in East Williamson County and Central Texas. “I’m glad to be here to see an advancement in education for the young people of our county and surrounding counties, and that Taylor and Hutto are taking the lead as they go forward with this project,” Carter said. Johns Community Hospital in Taylor, along with the rest of the nation, is feeling the effects of a shortage of nurses, and over the next ten years, the lack of RNs is expected to worsen, according to Kathryn McGee, JCH assistant administrator for nursing. “Having a healthcare campus in town that we can draw from will be a huge plus for the hospital in town, and it’ll be a plus for the people in Taylor to have higher education closer,” McGee said. McGee has a degree in nursing from Tech, along with several other nurses at JCH. The university offers a one-year intensive nursing program that allows students with degrees in other fields to earn their RN status quickly, and McGee believes the university’s presence in the area will bring higher quality nurses to Taylor. For Tech alumni in the area, which bears a population heavy with Texas A&M University and The University of Texas graduates, bringing the Red Raiders close to home is an exciting event. “Sometimes I feel all alone down here with all the UT and Aggie people,” said Shelli Cobb, Taylor ISD girls athletic coordinator. “You don’t see a lot of Tech in this part of the state.” Cobb graduated from Tech with a bachelor’s degree in sports science and English, and she is a “huge Red Raider fan.” “My co-workers often get annoyed when I sing the Tech fight song,” she said. “I love everything about Tech University. In my time there, it was a wonderful experience and a great education.” Debbie Kiewit, marketing coordinator for ERF Wireless and co-founder of TaylorCNET, is also excited about Tech coming to town. Kiewit graduated from Tech with a degree in marketing. “It’s a dynamic partnership. I think (Tech) does a great job of knowing the needs of students and meeting those needs,” Kiewit said. “They provide a very high-quality education.” Kiewit youngest son, currently a junior at Taylor High School, could be one of the first to experience EWCHEC when it opens to students fall 2009. Kiewit said her son is already looking into Tech, and that if all goes well, EWCHEC will be something her family will seriously consider.
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