News

Through the generosity of the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, the Northwest Tech Endowment Association has received a matching grant opportunity for the next three years. The college will be fundraising $150,000 per year in permanently endowed funds, with each contribution being matched dollar-for-dollar by the Hansen Foundation until the yearly goal has been reached....(Read more)

The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) Executive Committee has a new president for the 2021-2022 academic year. Ben Schears, President of Northwest Tech, began his term during the conference’s annual summer meeting in Garden City in July. "I've had the joy of working around the Jayhawk Conference for the entire duration of my career in some form or fashion and have no hesitation in saying we are in the top JUCO conference in the country," said Schears. "The success of the conference is largely due to the efforts of our past and present conference commissioners and colleges working together to create an environment where students can be successful in the classroom and competition."

As it’s more commonly known, the Jayhawk Conference itself has a long-standing and successful legacy of competition dating back to its founding in 1923. As the conference approaches its centennial anniversary, one of the areas where there has been incredible continuity and stability is in the role of the Conference Commissioner. To date, there have been only eight individuals who have served in this role, and since 2018 that has been Commissioner Carl Heinrich. “It has been an honor for me to serve the 21 schools of the KJCCC,” said Heinrich. “The success of the conference over the years has been due to the presidential leadership of all our schools. The opportunity for our student athletes to get a quality education and an opportunity to continue in sports has been what the KJCCC is about.”

Some might say the 2020-2021 year was one for the record books - both for having successfully completed competition during a global pandemic, but also for the visibility of the conference on the national stage. “Surviving COVID last year and the conference winning six national championships is a tribute to the administration, coaches, and players,” said Commissioner Heinrich. “We are very proud of them.”

Looking ahead to the conference's goals for the coming year, Schears highlighted a few areas of focus, not the least of which was continuing to deal with the implications of the pandemic. "Last year was a significant challenge, but our coaches, athletes and referees did what needed to be done," said Schears. "As we head into this year, although we are still dealing with COVID-19, we have several new tools in the arsenal, including lessons learned, new opportunities for vaccinations, and the commitment from our colleges to reach the finish line successfully."

With conference competition already underway in several program, Schears and Heinrich are both looking forward to a strong year for the conference. “I am excited to work with Ben this year as he serves as President of the KJCCC Executive Committee,” said Heinrich. “He brings in a wealth of experience that will continue to allow our conference athletes and programs to grow and remain consistent.”

Northwest Tech is moving up the national graduation rate rankings according to a recent report published by the Chronicle of Higher Education. The Almanac, an annual publication produced by The Chronicle of Higher Education, provides national insights on data and trends throughout higher education. The college has maintained steady success with graduation rates, and this year Northwest Tech was ranked #20 among 851 two-year publicly-funded colleges in the United States. The new ranking places Northwest Tech among the top 3% in success rates in the nation.

“We are excited about our ability to maintain high graduation rates, and it serves as a reflection of the commitment by our faculty and staff to provide pathways and support for our students to reach graduation,” said Northwest Tech President Ben Schears. “We are small, responsive, and provide a personalized, hands-on experience for our students that larger institutions simply cannot deliver.” Schears indicated the small campus and classes, combined with the high amount of contact time students have with faculty members is the real key for the college. “When students walk down our hallways, we know them and often know aspects of their personal story. If they miss class, we are willing and able to reach out and see why,” said Schears.

According to the latest Almanac, Kansas public two-year colleges had a total of three institutions in the rankings – all of whom were Kansas technical colleges: Flinthills Tech (#1), NCK Tech (#9) and Northwest Tech (#20). “Kansas technical colleges have incredibly high success rates and frankly, we’re very effective at the work we do,” said Schears. “Our role is to develop skilled labor for a hungry workforce, and it is great to see that reflected in national graduation rankings.”

Goodland, KS. (08/22/2021) – The Carpentry program at Northwest Kansas Technical College received funding from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation in support of their expansion and renovation project.

The Carpentry workshop is a collaborative space where students come together to design, create, and build items of their own creation through inquiry-based learning. The renovation includes projects such as expanding the facility by removing a wall, adding storage rooms for better organization, student lockers for security, adding a safety station, and bathroom updates. The renovation project will enable the entire building to be usable by the program students.

The Carpentry program at Northwest Tech provide students with relevant learning experiences supported by qualified and experienced faculty and staff, modern technology, and physical facilities designed to enhance the learning environment. The program courses are focused on various disciplines with work-based experience. Instructors conduct lectures, demonstrations, shop time, and campus work projects alongside course material. Students are prepared for employment in the residential-commercial carpentry construction industry by the end of the two-year program.

For more information about the Carpentry program, please visit FHNW.edu

With the Northwest Tech softball season just wrapping up, two Goodland natives are officially taking the reins of the program. Kaitlynn Raile, Assistant Coach for the 2020-2021 softball season has been has been appointed to the Head Coach position while Athletic Director Rory Kling will be stepping into the role of Assistant Coach. “I’m excited to see our new coaching staff grow the program,” said NT President Ben Schears. “It’s a great opportunity to promote solid employees into positions and knowing they will grow and see success.”....