Wichita Area Technical College and Wichita State University have developed legislative language for their proposed affiliation. The draft had its first reading Wednesday at the Kansas Board of Regents meeting in Topeka. The board will consider authorizing the draft at its January meeting.

Under the language Regents reviewed, WATC would become the WSU Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology. Current WATC employees would become WSU employees.

The new affiliate would maintain WATC’s open admissions policy and separate tuition structure. Students enrolled in the applied sciences and technology programs would be eligible to use main campus housing and facilities.

The current WATC board of trustees would become an advisory committee to the WSU president and continue focusing on the education and training needs of South Central Kansas companies and industries.

“We are excited to see these two public higher education institutions in Wichita come together to better serve students and business leaders,” said Regent Zoe Newton, chair of the Kansas Board of Regents.

If approved by the Legislature and Kansas Board of Regents, the next step in affiliation would be consideration by the Higher Learning Commission, which is the accrediting body for both WSU and WATC.

With HLC approval, the Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology could begin operating as part of WSU in 2018. The combination would only move forward if existing WATC funding sources, such as federal and state funding for technical education, can be maintained.

Sheree Utash, president of Wichita Area Technical College, said: “WSU and WATC already have strong partnerships including the National Center for Aviation Training and the Shocker Pathways program. South Central Kansas industry and businesses are looking to our two institutions to provide the workforce for the future of our region. We can do that more effectively by uniting.”

John Bardo, president of Wichita State, said: “WSU’s strategic vision is to be internationally recognized as the model for applied learning and research. We are advancing that effort by creating this continuum from GED to Ph.D. We want students to be able to move easily between the offerings of the two institutions and Kansans to know they can count on WSU to provide innovators, entrepreneurs, creators, skilled workers and future leaders for the 21st century economy.”