Booming regional economy spurs Bryan College expansion

His time has been consumed with preparing to open a new campus in Rogers, Ark., working with general contractor Lacey Brothers Construction, acquiring property for more parking and making sure the new facility meets the city of Rogers’ building codes.

“I’m excited,” Stewart said. “I’m wore out and I’m ready to have some students in here.”

Stewart moved significant portions of management from the school’s Topeka, Kansas location to his hometown of Springfield after buying Bryan College in 2004.

The school’s focus on training students to move into better jobs hasn’t changed since it opened. Stewart said the Arkansas location falls in line with that focus.

“This campus is taking all of those things we’ve learned over a 20-year period and building on them from the ground up … blending online and on-campus classes,” he said. “A full-time student can come on a Monday and Tuesday during the day from 8 a.m. in the morning until about 1 p.m. in the afternoon and that’s the last time they report here. They can have their full-time jobs and their full-time families. It is really very conducive to a working adult.”

The decision to move into Arkansas came after school officials did market research.

Tulsa, Okla., and Kansas City also were considered.

“Growth in northwest Arkansas and the need for skilled training in the areas we train for are really what drew us in this direction,” Stewart said.

Business leaders in the Rogers area welcome the school, citing a need for qualified workers in the growing region.

Beth Stephens, senior vice president of the Rogers-Lowell Chamber of Commerce, said workers are in short supply in health care technology and business management – all areas of focus for Bryan College.

“There is a pretty good pinch across several of our industries,” Stephens said.

“The chamber addresses that through job fairs and out-of-market recruitment. Bryan College coming in and training some of our local workers to fill those positions is a super fit.”

Rogers Campus Executive Director Tami Goodman has first-hand experience dealing with work-force shortages. Before joining Bryan College, Goodman worked as a branch manager for staffing firm Robert Half International in northwest Arkansas.

Bryan College classes are set to start March 26, and Goodman is looking forward to making connections in the business community.

“Once we are open for business, then it’s time to focus more on the business community,” Goodman said. “When they are aware of what our goals are, they will take an interest in what we do.

“We can get them what they need in the northwest Arkansas community.”

Rich Davis, vice president of economic development for the Bentonville-Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce, said Bryan College is needed competition for Northwest Arkansas Community College, particularly given that the region’s unemployment rate has stayed around 3 percent for the last seven years.

“What we have is a very low unemployment rate but we also have a very high underemployed rate, meaning people are working multiple jobs to sustain a certain level of living,” Davis said. “Any type of educational opportunity offers those underemployed the chance to segue from the poverty level into a middle-income level.”

Initially, class size at Bryan College will be small, with 15 to 20 students. The 12,500-square-foot facility, however, can accommodate about 12,000 students.

Stewart said 30 people have applied for admission, but he expects growth to come quickly.

Bryan College-Rogers is located a half-mile east of Interstate 540, next door to a Rib Crib owned by Ozarks Restaurants Inc., which also operates Rib Crib eateries in Springfield.[[In-content Ad]]