1. 22 SPLURGE! MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY LILY SHAWVERLIVE
Even in July, it’s never too early to start
making plans for back to school. Trends in the
academic world are constantly changing, so
we talked with five local schools to peek into
the future of the 2014-2015 academic year.
‘Jump Start’ into fall this
year with WATC
Wichita Area Technical College now offers
college-level courses for high school stu-
dents in the Wichita area. Just this year,
more than 1,500 high school students have
participated in this program. More than 36
general education course offered at WATC
are transferable to other Kansas public
colleges and universities.
“These classes provide students the oppor-
tunity to earn their first college credits in a
comfortable and familiar environment,” said
Pam Doyle, dean of general education.
WATC also offers two “Jump Start” options
specifically for high school students. This
gives students the chance to save a signifi-
cant amount of money on general college
courses. WATC offers free tuition for career
and technical education courses such as
business, interior design, aviation and more.
The “Jump Start” program also offers trans-
ferable general education courses at the
discounted price of $65 per credit hour. This
includes courses such as college algebra,
English, psychology and more.
“Student success builds student confi-
dence,” Doyle said, “which will motivate
students to continue their college education
once they leave the high school environment.”
WSU upgrades on-campus
student living
Wichita State University is the city’s fastest
growing public university. To compensate
for the huge increase in enrollment, new
dorm rooms are being built.
Shocker Hall, located between Cessna
Stadium and Morrison Hall, holds up to 782
beds and has a 400-seat dining hall. This
prime location will have students to class on
time, and they should have no parking issues.
There are several different room configu-
rations available to fit any student’s needs.
This will include singles, standard doubles,
double rooms with two singles and quad
rooms with four single rooms. Some rooms
will also have small living room areas.
Trends inHIGHER EDUCATION