Decade of development

"There has been tremendous growth in all facets of this campus since the merger," said Dennis Kuhlman, dean of the College of Technology and Aviation. "It's been done through the sacrifice, hard work, determination, teamwork and dedication of many people, including the faculty and staff, business and industry, alumni and students, and the citizens of Salina.

"Leadership was displayed, partnerships were formed, support was given and a clear vision for the future was defined," Kuhlman said. "The achievements of the College of Technology and Aviation over the past decade show the impact of individuals united in mission, guided by a vision and utilizing leadership to generate viable outcomes. This success wouldn't have been possible without the insight of President Wefald, who has been the guiding force in directing the university to unparalleled success."

After the passage of a two-year, half-cent sales tax voted in by the citizens of Salina in 1991 and approval of the Kansas Legislature, Senate Bill No. 22 was signed into law by Gov. Joan Finney, merging the college with K-State.

In the past decade, the college has seen unprecedented growth in enrollment, programs, facilities, endowment and equipment.

K-State at Salina has seen tremendous growth in enrollment, surpassing the 1,000 student milestone in 2001. Since the merger, the college has seen a 105 percent increase in full-time students and a more than 53 percent increase in total student head count.

The campus has added more than 83,600 square feet in new buildings and remodeled 52,300 square feet of classroom and laboratory space in the 10 years. It also has seen an increase in its endowment by more than $2.1 million for scholarships, which yields more than $279,500 for scholarships yearly. The campus also has seen the addition of more than $2.1 in new equipment for laboratories on campus.

Today, the college owns 41 planes; 15 of them bought recently from student tuition to meet the demand.

The college has added bachelor's degree programs to complement the associate degree programs in both engineering technology and aviation throughout the decade. Additional associate degree programs have been added too, including the construction engineering technology and the Web development technology programs.

Salina Area Technical School graduates now can put their course work toward an associate's degree at K-State Salina.

Winter 2002