College of St. Mary to close Lincoln campus

By: Megan Palera
mpalera@klkntv.com

It doesn't seem like a long commute to Omaha, but the women who attend the college of St. Mary's are working women, single mothers, and simply can't find the time to get there and back.

Jess Walker is a paralegal during the week, and a college student on the weekend. She enrolled at the college of Saint Mary in August and was blind sided by this notice, saying the Lincoln campus was shutting down.

Walker says, “Had we known there was a problem, the student body, there might not be many of us but there's enough that this impacts that we could get the word out. We could see what we could do to increase enrollment, participate in different fundraiser's, bring attention to the issue so that it didn't have to come to this.”

Enrollment at the Lincoln campus is now down to 67 students, a 50 percent decline from 2003. The college says it as forced to make a decision this fall and Tuesday's notice was the earliest they could get word out.

Starting in January, if students at this campus want to stay in the program, they'll have to make the hour drive to the main campus in Omaha. The college's Vice President of Academic Affairs says they're dedicated to helping them make a smooth transition and finding alternatives, including, “commuting to Omaha every other week, while for others on-line or hybrid courses, independent study or transfer to another institution. One size doesn't fit all in this case.”

Walker, frustrated and disappointed, is hoping the college follows through with their promise. “I'm lucky because I can get done early, where as a lot of these girls are dealing with a 3-4 year programs that they essentially have to start over.”

The college's president will be at the Lincoln campus this Sunday to address student and faculty concerns. The college wants to reassure everyone that they are still committed to helping the women earn a degree.