FHSU University Relations

DODGE CITY — Dr. Mirta M. Martin, president of Fort Hays State University, visited Dodge City on Tuesday to dispel concerns about the proposed merger between FHSU and Dodge City Community College.

She met with Dodge City media, appeared on live radio and spoke during a town hall meeting that was sponsored by the Dodge City Area Chamber of Commerce. The public meeting drew a standing-room-only crowd of more than 100 people, who asked questions about the futures of DCCC faculty and staff and expressed various concerns about the implications of the merger. Some also voiced strong support for the proposed union of the two institutions.

President Martin addressed the concerns in her prepared remarks and in responses to the questions.

“The proposal to merge a community college into a state university would be a first for Kansas, and a project of that magnitude necessarily poses concerns,” she said. “It is a challenging union. Therefore, we must trust each other and deal in fact. The proposed merger has the potential to produce tremendous benefits for southwest Kansas, so deliberations about implementing such a major project should be based on solid information. Should questions arise, they should be addressed openly. In an effort to ensure transparency, we have created a website and we encourage the community to use it.”

For more on the developing story, check Hays Post on Wednesday.