DODGE CITY (AP) — Dodge City and Ford County commissions are officially supporting a proposed merger of Dodge City Community College and Fort Hays State University.

The commissions approved resolutions this week at separate meetings saying they support the merger.

The Dodge City Daily Globe reported the resolutions of support were not necessary for the merger to proceed. But the commissions were urged to pass the resolutions to show the Kansas Board of Regents the merger has local support.

The merger would create an Institute of Applied Technology on the Dodge City campus, with Fort Hays State offering some four-year degree programs. FHSU administrators would run both campuses.

The plan must be approved by the Kansas Board of Regents, the state Legislature and the governor.