By Mike Butts
Idaho Press-Tribune

CANYON COUNTY — Boise State University President Bob Kustra is promoting a community college system for Southwest Idaho because he said it will help Boise State grow and it will benefit the community and local economy.

A local community college system is also needed for Canyon County in particular to promote economic development, a Caldwell legislator said.

Boise State will have difficulty improving its research and graduate programs if it also has to provide the professional-technical education and adult basic education that community colleges usually offer, Kustra said.

“Very few universities in the country are still trying to serve those two different masters,” Kustra said.

Kustra said the Boise State Larry Selland College of Applied Technology, which offers courses often available at community colleges, is taking up valuable space on the school’s campus. He also said the Selland College is constrained by being on the Boise State campus and could expand as part of a separate community college.

While a community college would draw some students away from Boise State, Kustra said those may be students who struggle at Boise State anyway.

To keep from drawing too many students from four-year universities and draining their revenues, a Legislative interim committee on community colleges recommended lowering the tuition for professional- technical courses at universities. This would bring university rates closer to community college rates for those classes. If that happens, Kustra said the state should make up the difference with more funding for four-year schools.

“If the state wants to require us to reduce tuition for our College of Applied Technology students, then I think they have a responsibility to fund us at the same generous levels College of Southern Idaho and North Idaho College are being funded,” Kustra said.

Caldwell Rep. Bob Ring said a local, comprehensive community college system is essential to Canyon County growth.

“It would be a huge boon for business and economic development out here,” Ring said. “Until we get one — a state-supported community college — it’s going to make it a lot more difficult to attract business and industry.”