Tucson-area leaders are hosting a community meeting Tuesday night to talk about the future of Pima Community College. It's an effort to help people understand ongoing changes.
Pima Community College's footprint in the Tucson area is shrinking. With the economy growing, fewer people are turning to community college for new opportunities. The resulting lower enrollment has triggered state-mandated spending cuts, which in turn have prompted employee layoffs and other cutbacks, including potentially the Pima College football program.
Chancellor Lee Lambert said it's time for the college and the people it serves to talk about Pima's current status.
"We're going to talk about why we're in this position we're in. Some of it is the making of the college, but much of it is just a larger shift in the reality of our community, so the demographic shifts, (and) financial realities that we're faced with," Lambert said.
He said he will also address his optimism about the future of the educational institution.
"Our challenge is trying to get to the broader community who do not always interact with us on a more daily basis to help them understand that things have really changed for the better at the college," Lambert said.
The community forum will focus on PCC's progress and initiatives. Pima College board member Sylvia Lee, County Supervisor Sharon Bronson, and Tucson City Council member Paul Durham will be present to answer questions.
The forum will be held at the Ellie Towne Center at 1660 W. Ruthrauff Road Tuesday night from 5:30 to 7 pm. More information is available at (520) 206-4747.
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