College District to offer visual arts certificate

The Northern Wyoming Community College District will now offer a program leading to a certificate in visual arts.

Approval of the new certificate came during Tuesday night’s meeting of college district trustees. District President Dr. Walter Tribley said until now there has been no intermediary achievement benchmark in the visual arts program. Students who participate in the new program would receive a certificate after completing one year, 15 credits, of course work.

Dr. Estella Castillo-Garrison, who is the vice president of academic affairs, explained how the program is organized.

Dr. Tribley said the program gives students the option of leaving college after one year with the certificate or continue their education to get their degrees. He said the certificate will not require any additional faculty.

He said the certificate doesn’t qualify a student to become an art teacher in grades K-12, but it provides a student with a tangible, good start in the visual arts and it would help all K-12 teachers do a better job of bringing art into their classrooms. Also, he said, there may be many jobs in the Sheridan community where a certificate in visual arts could be a benefit.

Also during Tuesday’s meeting, during a discussion of the academic calendar for 2021-22, Dr. Tribley told trustees he will be making a decision on April 1 regarding graduation this year.

Because of the COVID-19 virus, graduation ceremonies were canceled last spring and held virtually later in the year. Dr. Tribley said the decision he will make on April 1 will be whether to hold this year’s ceremonies face-to-face or virtually.