The Hutchinson Community College Board of Trustees welcomed students and student-athletes to its October meeting before receiving updates on campus improvements and workforce development initiatives.

The meeting opened with presentations from students involved in the college’s theatre department and members of the Blue Dragon football team.

Under the direction of Deidre Mattox, the theatre department is preparing for its first production of the academic year, Sleeping Giant. Performances are scheduled for October 16–18 at the Stringer Fine Arts Center.

Head football coach Drew Dallas and offensive line coach Connor Lierz introduced members of the Blue Dragon offensive line to the Board.

In other business, Julie Blanton, vice president of finance and operations, provided an update on campus capital projects. Renovations to offices in the Parker Student Union are underway, and the Board approved bids for several smaller projects. She also updated the Board on plans for a new floor in the Hutchinson Sports Arena. The City has approved the project, which includes expanding the floor by 10 feet to better accommodate events, particularly high school volleyball tournaments.

Bryce McFarland, vice president of workforce development, provided updates on several programs and initiatives serving students and employers throughout the region. Career Quest events are scheduled for October 20 and 22, with approximately 700 students expected to participate in activities focused on career exploration through the college’s main campus, Fire Science program and Hutchinson Career and Technical Education Academy (HCTEA).

HutchCC was awarded a $100,000 RAISE grant to expand rural apprenticeship opportunities in Kansas. McFarland also shared results from the college’s commercial driver’s license (CDL) and Motorcycle Safety programs for the 2025–26 year.

The Board’s next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 12, at 6 p.m. in the Justice Theater at the Shears Technology Center. The public is invited to attend.

For more information on Hutchinson Community College, visit the college website at www.hutchcc.edu. 

The Dillon Lecture Series (DLS) will conclude its 2026 season by welcoming inspirational speaker and bestselling author Liz Murray on Tuesday, October 13, at 10:30 a.m. in the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

Known for her remarkable journey from homelessness to earning a scholarship to Harvard University, Murray has inspired audiences around the world with her message of resilience, determination and the power of education.

Raised in the Bronx by loving but drug-addicted parents, Murray grew up in poverty, often without enough food and frequently absent from school. Following the death of her mother when she was just 15 years old, she found herself homeless, sleeping on the streets and riding the New York City subway through the night. Rather than allowing her circumstances to define her future, Murray made the decision to reclaim her life through education.

She completed four years of high school coursework in just two years while experiencing homelessness and earned a full scholarship to Harvard University. Murray graduated from Harvard in 2009 before earning a master's degree in Psychology of Education from Columbia University. Today, she is an internationally recognized motivational speaker, bestselling author of Breaking Night, and a passionate advocate for underserved youth.

During her presentation, Murray will share the lessons she learned while overcoming extraordinary adversity, encouraging audience members to recognize their own potential, embrace challenges, and transform obstacles into opportunities.

The lecture is open to the public. General admission tickets are $10, while students and school groups are admitted free. Tickets may be purchased online or at the Hutchinson Sports Arena on the day of the lecture.

The Dillon Lecture Series is celebrating its 45th season of bringing distinguished speakers to Hutchinson. Since 1982, the series has welcomed nationally and internationally recognized leaders, authors, educators, journalists, scientists and public figures to educate and inspire audiences of all ages.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Dillon Lecture Series website or contact Becky Rogers at rogersb@hutchcc.edu or by phone at 620-665-3505.

Hutchinson Community College will host an open house for a newly constructed duplex at 543 and 541 E. Avenue A in Hutchinson from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm this Sunday, September 27.

The duplex is part of a larger HutchCC project made possible through a $708,965 FRAME (Fostering Residential Advancement through Mentoring and Education) Grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce. The grant supports the construction of three new residential dwellings in Hutchinson while providing hands-on learning opportunities for students in HutchCC’s and USD 308’s Hutchinson Career and Technical Education Academy Construction Technology program.

Located in one of Hutchinson’s historic districts, the duplex was constructed by Construction Technology students who gained real-world experience throughout the residential building process, from foundation work through the finishing stages.

Visitors to the open house will be able to tour the two-bedroom, two-bath duplex units, which feature approximately 1,735 square feet per unit, two-car garages, walk-in closets and a spacious walk-in pantry/storage area. Each townhome is listed at $249,900, or $499,800 for the entire duplex.

“This project represents a win-win for our students and our community,” said Dr. Tricia Paramore, president of Hutchinson Community College. “Our students have had the opportunity to develop marketable, in-demand construction skills while helping create new housing in Hutchinson. It is exciting to see their classroom learning become a finished product that will become part of our community.”

The duplex is one component of HutchCC’s FRAME-funded housing initiative. The college also partnered with Interfaith Housing and Community Services to construct a single-family home on East 10th Avenue. That project provided additional work experience for Youth Apprentices associated with the Construction Technology program. It is expected to be on the market in the near future.

For more information about the duplex or the open house, contact 620-665-3550.

                  Hutchinson Community College: An Equal Opportunity Provider

Hutchinson Community College graduates can finish a bachelor's degree in criminal justice in as few as 12 months under a new agreement between Newman University and the Kansas Association of Community Colleges, the statewide association representing the 19 community colleges and three technical colleges in Kansas.

HutchCC is one of the member colleges participating in the pathway. It's built for two groups: HutchCC graduates who want a bachelor's degree and working public-safety professionals who already have an established criminal justice career but do not have a bachelor’s degree and could use financial assistance to complete their degree.

A student who transfers with an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree from HutchCC can transfer up to 60 of those hours with them into the 120 hours required for the bachelor’s degree. Newman could then award up to 30 hours of credit for prior learning. That leaves roughly 30 hours to finish at Newman, which a full-time student can complete in two consecutive semesters plus a summer or intervening term.

The prior learning credit is what makes the timeline work for people already in the field. Newman will evaluate law enforcement basic training through the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center and Kansas CPOST certifications, military training and occupations on a Joint Services Transcript, employer and industry training, current professional certifications, and standardized exams such as CLEP and DSST.

“Hutchinson Community College is committed to creating pathways that help our graduates and working professionals continue their education while building on the knowledge and experience they already have,” said Dr. Tricia Paramore, president of Hutchinson Community College. “This partnership with Newman University recognizes the value of that experience and makes completing a bachelor’s degree more accessible for those pursuing careers in criminal justice.”

Every HutchCC graduate admitted to the pathway receives a $20,000 Newman scholarship toward the degree. Newman also matches, dollar for dollar, any federal Pell Grant or State of Kansas financial aid the student applies to the program.

To learn more, contact Sheldon Stewart at stewarts@hutchcc.edu.