The merger between Independence Community College and Coffeyville Community College is just in its earliest stages and prompts an informal discussion at this month's ICC Trustees meeting.

 

After both schools voted last month to begin the first stages of merging the two colleges, the process is barely underway. At last night's (Monday's) ICC Board of Trustees meeting, ICC President Dr. Jonathan Sadhoo says the very earliest the merger might happen would be in 2027.

 

Part of the issue with the merger is uncertainty. This has never happened in Kansas before, so the actual steps in the process aren't clearly defined. Both schools included in their motions to begin the process a clause that would allow each institution to back out of the process if there were issues. Trustee Dr. Logan Null says a large part of the problem is that the process is so complicated.

 

No official action was taken regarding the merger at Monday's meeting. In other business, Dr. Sadhoo informed trustees that the deadline for a federal grant for a possible new welding program had been pushed back to October. The Board also approved $12,000 for an Upward Bound trip to Oklahoma City in June as well as approving the expenditure of $43,000 over three years for a new online mental health provider for the school.

 

The next meeting of the ICC Board of Trustees will be May 7.