Large turnout urged to support MCC name return

Residents of the McCook area are being encouraged to turn out in large numbers Wednesday evening to show support for McCook Community College as the name for Nebraska's oldest junior college campus.

Dr. Mike Owens, president of the McCook College Foundation, said "everybody and their dog should be there. This is a very important meeting for determining the future of the college."

The meeting will be the October session of the Mid-Plains Board of Governors. The meeting will be in the Wig-Wam, which is the college student union, beginning at 6:30 p.m. "We're hoping for a turnout so large that the session will have to be moved to the college gym," Dr. Owens said.

The issue that is attracting so much attention is a proposal to change the name of the college area to "Heritage Community College." The different locations, such as McCook, would be designated as, "Heritage Community College-McCook." Tempers flared Monday night when the McCook College Foundation gathered to plan its strategy.

"It would be ludicrous to change the name from McCook Community College," the foundation president said. "I even wonder why the board is meeting on this issue. No board action was taken when the previous president (Dr. George Mihel) changed the name to 'Mid-Plains Community College -- McCook Campus.' Why do they need to meet now to change it back?," he wondered.

In Owens' opinion, there are two major reasons not to abandon the McCook Community College name. First, he said, it would eliminate 75 years of history and good will; and, second, It would make it extremely difficult to solicit funds for the college.

According to the foundation leader, a member of the site committee for the North Central accrediting agency told McCookites it would be stupid to change the name away from McCook Community College. Also, Owens said, no agency is ordering the name to be changed. "There is no requirement that the name be changed by the North Central Accrediting Agency, the Coordinating Commission for Higher Education, the Nebraska Legislature or the Legislative Committee of the unicameral," he said.

"The reason cited for changing the college name is nothing more than administrative balderdash," Owens said, "or you can substitute a bolder name if you wish."

Owens said the board has been waffling and wavering on the issue for the past several weeks. He was especially critical of Rich Kolkman, the at-large member of the board, who won election with the support of McCook residents. "At critical points in the naming debate, he did not support the sentiments of McCook residents," Owens said, referring to the name-changing debacle as "Kolkman's Folly.

The foundation board authorized attorney Dal Wood to explore the group's legal options and obtain additional legal services if necessary.