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No. While we do have a focus on career and entrepreneurial preparation and include courses traditionally offered by trade schools, we will be considered a work college that offers Associate and eventually Bachelor degrees. Other examples of some well-known work colleges include Berea College and College of the Ozarks. The primary difference is we will offer the students work and experience in jobs related to their field of study.
Our goal is to create a tuition-free model that also covers many other major student expenses, such as meals and housing. We hope to accomplish this through student work, both in supporting internal processes like other existing work colleges do and by working in community-facing businesses/work stations that serve the community and generate revenue that covers their expenses. We will initially be funded by donations and grants, but we hope within five years to be mostly funded through the goods and services provided to the community.
Our approach is new, but it blends multiple successful models for work colleges and other hands-on learning schools. A lot of our structure, organization, and planning was inspired by organizations such as College of the Ozarks, Berea College, and hair/cosmetology schools. We have spent the past 3 years doing market research and consulting with experts and believe that this model can work.
To align with our goal of a tuition-free education for our students, we must streamline studies as much as we can. Because of this, all of our general education/core curriculum classes will be the same for all students (with different classes for Associate and Bachelor degrees). However, there is some customization and specialization within the different majors so students can focus on their strengths or where they want to take their careers.
We are currently in the process of launching and applying for accreditation with the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges and eventually the Higher Learning Commission. To become accredited, we need to have courses, faculty, and students. This does require students taking a gamble on us and trusting that we will become accredited before they graduate. However, even if that process is delayed or drawn out for any reason, the risk is limited as students will still be provided with tuition, housing, food packages, and on-the-job training and experience that will still help them improve career prospects.
We are committed to obtaining accreditation as soon as we can and will make adjustments as necessary to ensure approval.
Students at SJI will primarily be assigned to workstations/jobs that align with their major of study. For example, agriculture students will work on our farm, culinary arts students will work in a restaurant/bakery, and construction students will work in with a construction crew. All services provided to the community through the school will be offered at a discount as the student workers are in training and may contain imperfections, much like how a hairstyling and beauty school offers discounted haircuts, styling, etc.
Our goal is to focus on degrees that help fill employment and education gaps in the Northwestern Missouri area, especially around St. Joseph and the surrounding communities. There will be a large emphasis on agriculture, but we have been doing a great deal of market research and finding out what local job and entrepreneurial opportunities are available and needed to help encourage graduates to stay and help build up the community. We will provide more details as we get closer to our official launch.