Tyler

By MALENA OGLES
Staff Writer

Three candidates for Place 9 on the Tyler Junior College Board of Trustees faced questions from the media and public Monday evening at the League of Women Voters candidate forum.

The candidates, Melinda Coker, Steven Sherwood and Rohn Boone were each asked questions from three media representatives and then the public at the forum held at the Tyler Public Library.

The Candidates

Sherwood, a pharmacy owner from Chapel Hill said he was late to attend college. After graduating from Chapel Hill High School he went to work for Central Freight Lines. At age 27 he went back to school at TJC and then onto graduate school for pharmacy.

He said that being from outside Tyler will bring diversity to the board.

If elected, Sherwood wants to see TJC support the growing medical community in East Texas by supporting nursing, dental hygiene and other medical programs. He also said that he wants the college to remember the students who do not necessarily plan on going ahead with a four year degree.

"There are many students who do not want or need a four year degree, so we need to improve the vocational programs," he said.

Boone, president and chief of operation for Boone & Boone Construction Ltd., said he and his entire family at one point attended TJC.

He said he believes the qualities of a good board member include visions of leadership, financial responsibility, the ability to communicate and to influence others diplomatically. Boone currently serves on the TJC Foundation, TJC Law Enforcement Advisory Board, Tyler Economic Development Council, and numerous other city and county boards.

"I've established good relationships with elected officials and pledge to use my unique experience for TJC," he said.

Mrs. Coker said she is also one of the aspiring board members who has taken classes at TJC. She is a business consultant and TJC's former director of career services. Because of her close work with students, Mrs. Coker said she is able to bring a new perspective to the policy making process.

"I'm an educator as well as a trained professional councilor. I know how to listen. I'm willing to dig in and research when faced with difficult issues," Mrs. Coker said.

She added that because she does not serve on numerous boards, she is able to devote as much time as possible to the TJC board of trustees.

She said that because TJC has an open admissions policy the college has to offer classes and programs for students and different educational levels.

"After working at TJC I realize how many kinds of students the college serves. Because of that diverse student body TJC must be able to offer enough programs to entertain them," she said.

Master Plan

Each candidate was asked what elements should be incorporated into the TJC master plan.

Mrs. Corker said that as TJC forms a master plan, the college needs to incorporate internet based learning.

"The internet will give our students a chance to get their education," she said.

Boone said he believe that expanding the campus and looking to purchase more land is a necessity along with allowing students to receive dual credits in high school that can later transfer over to TJC as college credits.

Sherwood reiterated that he supports vocational programs and an increased support of the medical community.

With the possibility of expanding the TJC campus candidates, were asked what the college should do about having good relationships with people living near the college worried about the school's expansion.

All three candidates said that communication is essential to being a good neighbor.

"I know that the board is talking with some of the other leaders about expanding in other parts of Tyler," Sherwood said. "It may be that we don't grow at the TJC proper but maybe on the west campus or some of the other areas."

Boone said he's already received letters from several people who live near the college. He added that the college needs to make use of some of the land they already have, and to look at future expansion on the west campus and shared space with other area institutions.

Mrs. Coker said that talking with the people who live near the college is part of the solution.

"Tell them here is what we are looking to do and ask for suggestions. If people are involved sometimes they will feel a lot more accommodating to the school," she said.

Higher learning

Candidates were also asked if duplication in the three institutions of higher learning in the area was a problem, and are there are lines of communication between the three schools so that there is no duplication of services.

Sherwood said that while communication between the schools is important, they have to be careful about giving out to much information.

Candidates were asked to comment on their opinion of more resources being put into remediation.

Sherwood said that they have to remediate because the important part is the end goal, which is to educate the students so that they can better job and improve the economic area.

Mrs. Coker suggested looking into inverted degree such as credit transfers to other programs.

Mrs. Coker said that the college needs to think of the long term development for the students.

She said that if the high school is not going to prepare the students than it is up to the college.

Boone suggested duel credit classes between the school districts and TJC to encourage interest not only in TJC but in a college career.

"If it doesn't suit them to go to a classroom then maybe a vocational classroom is the thing," he said.

Sherwood also said that the end result is what the schools should be focused on.

"You have to education them to get a better job," he said.

Rollback

A media representative asked what the candidates would do to prevent a rollback election like the one that took place in 2006.

Each of the candidates said that the communication between the citizens and the school need to be increased.

Boone said that raising funds from outside the tax dollars and better communication skill would be a way to prevent that type of problem.

"We have great people and great donors inside the city of Tyler and we need to utilize some of theses resources," Boone said.

Coker said that she felt like the community needed to be included more in the planning.

"If you don't invite the citizens to take part you are just going to make them mad," Coker said.

Sherwood said that having someone from outside city of Tyler on the board will help with communication problems.

"We need to expand the scope of people on the board," he said.