Kansas State University, as the nation’s first operational land-grant university established in 1862, has always been active in every Kansas county.
But that’s history.
A comprehensive economic growth and advancement solution for the next generation is in the works to connect with the next generation, spearheaded by the university’s president. Entitled K-State 105, the program began its tour in the eastern Kansas corridor. This week, university program officials and a cadre of current KSU students joined supportive local residents from Barton and Ellis counties for the second phase of what is being billed as a comprehensive listening program.
On Tuesday, a 90-minute facilitated discussion session was conducted after introductory comments and two short videos that explained the overall mission and parameters for the current four-day trip through Central Kansas.
Following Tuesday’s session, the group met at the Kansas Wetlands Education Center to discuss water issues, then headed off for the north central part of the state through Wednesday.
Tim Steffensmeier, assistant vice-president and director of engagement and outreach, headed up the program, assisted by Communications Director Jennifer Tidball.
In his opening statement, Steffensmeier listed three important concepts as part of the tour’s focus: connections with communities, challenges and structuring partnerships with stakeholders in an effort to teach to learners of all ages.
The program is the brainchild of Richard Linton, who serves as the 15th president of KSU.
“This program was his idea,” Steffensmeier said. “If he was here, he would say that there’s three really important reasons why we’re doing these visits. We just need to connect; touch base with a whole bunch of people.”
That’s important, he said, because “it would be really nice to make some sense about what people are up against, in the challenges that are happening at the community and county level and in whatever work sector you happen to be in.
“The last one is about partnerships and opportunities,” he said. “Kansas State University has partnered in the past and that partnership needs to be enhanced. We need to be able to listen to what is going on before we can attempt to do something about it.”
Community response
During the facilitated discussion, the group partnered up at each table to discuss issues facing the community and the area. A speaker at each table then shared their thoughts with the rest of the group.
Concerns were varied, from declining community population affecting the availability of practicing veterinarians, to partnering with local community colleges in vocational and other programs and a renewed focus on historic business sectors such as oil production and agriculture.
Stacy Campbell, agriculture specialist with the K-State Extension Cottonwood District in Hays, noted that his table discussed that 90 percent of the state’s 105 counties are heavily involved in agricultural production. “There is also a concern about the number of veterinarians. People come to our state from another state to go to vet school and then they go home to their home state,” he said.
“Those local vet school students need to come back to their home communities and maybe there could be added incentives to get them to practice here.”
Internships in existing professions and businesses could translate into job placements with the help of the university.
