Tom Gorman, Mid-Plains Community College Area Dean of Economic Development and Training, has announced that he plans to retire on July 8, 2011, after dedicating 41 years to growing the college’s fledgling non-credit adult education classes into a thriving, dynamic program that is deeply embedded in the foundation of the college and the communities it serves.
Gorman, who is fondly referred to as “Mr. MPCC,” earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science Degree from Chadron State College, a Master’s Degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and has completed additional graduate work at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.
He came to North Platte Junior College in the fall of 1970 to teach accounting and other business courses. He also worked part-time in the college’s non-credit program that had begun three years earlier.
“I honestly didn’t know what Adult Education was, but I told people in the town that I was leaving (Minden) that I would probably find out what it was,” he continued. “Little did I know that I would become involved with an exciting, somewhat new type of education and that it would become my passion.”
After reviewing the program, Gorman set a goal of increasing enrollments in non-credit offerings from about 200 students that had registered in the previous years. It was a somewhat daunting task, but he quickly dug in and got busy.
What Gorman didn’t know, however, was that community colleges across the country were just beginning to tap into a market of students they had never considered in the past – the adult student. In the next 10 years, statistics showed that enrollments in adult education classes increased by 355 percent and the number of classes offered increased by 353 percent.
As Gorman watched enrollments increase year after year, he began to realize that he was riding a wave that showed no signs of cresting.
“I remember thinking that when our total number of students who had taken classes reached 500 that we’d pretty much educated the whole town on anything they could ever be interested it, but it just kept snowballing,” he said.
Participation and enrollments grew steadily, and within five years the adult short course program had grown to nearly 150 classes and more than 2,000 students a year. It also became a full-time position for Gorman and he was given the title of “Dean of Community Services.”
Fast forward to recent years, when more than 7,000 students register annually to enroll in over 300 classes that include everything from yoga and computers to continuing education offerings for nurses, real estate agents, childcare providers, and those in many other careers.
“It’s amazing to see those big numbers, but being able to maintain them is really the biggest accomplishment,” he said. “We always have to find what works and keep growing.”
Gorman credits continuing education classes for playing a vital role in keeping those numbers high.
“In the early 1970s, I made the comment that it would be great if everyone was required to have continuing education. At that time there were very few careers that required it, but today nearly every type of job require some type of annual continuing education,” he said.
Another important factor in keeping enrollments high is that the college has always offered a selection of non-credit classes that is comparable to those of any community college across the country. And, although many classes can now be taken online, Gorman said MPCC continues to offer a large variety of on-site classes as well.
“There are still a lot of people who really enjoy coming to class each week and meeting others with similar interests,” he said.
As MPCC’s Community Services Program has continued to grow and thrive, Gorman has garnered numerous awards and accolades in recognition for his involvement and devotion to the program. He has been recognized locally as Educator of the Year by the North Platte Chamber of Commerce in 1995 and state-wide as Administrator of the Year by the Nebraska Community College System in 1987 and Outstanding Adult Educator for Nebraska (ACEAN) in 1984.
Nationally, Gorman has served on the LERN Board of Directors and presented customer service seminars at 20 national conferences. LERN recognized him as one of the top twenty-five people in adult and continuing education in 2003. He also received the Small Business Administration (SBA) Advocate of the Year Award in 1985 and the Connecting Nebraska Award from the Nebraska Development Network in 2001.
“The awards are nice and are appreciated, but I attribute a lot of my success to always having outstanding, dedicated secretaries/administrative assistants that kept track of hundreds of classes and thousands of students each year,” he said. “I’ve also worked with thousands of short course teachers during the past 40 years that have been committed to adult education and have brought their talents and abilities to countless classes over the years.”
Although Gorman is quick to give credit to others for the remarkable success of the program, the hard work, self-sacrifice and countless hours he has dedicated to making every single class be as successful as it can possibly be have placed him in high regard among his colleagues over the years.
“Prior to my coming to the college, Tom Gorman was known throughout the state as ‘Mr. Mid-Plains – The Community Education Icon’ and I have seen time and again why that title was lovingly bestowed on him,” said Dr. Michael Chipps, MPCC President. “In retirement, Tom should teach others about what it means to serve with passion and compassion. He is ‘one of a kind’ and will be greatly missed as he begins his new journey on a much deserved retirement.”
So, with an amazingly successful career under his belt and a legacy of lifelong learning opportunities left in his wake, what does an energetic, passionate man do when he wakes up without a job on July 9?
“I guess I’m quitting cold turkey,” he admitted with a laugh. “When you do something for 40 years and all of a sudden you’re not doing it, there is bound to be an adjustment. But, between playing a little more golf, visiting our grandkids more often, and paying back my wife Lynda for all her years of putting up with me doing this job, I think I’ll find a way to stay busy.”
“The college has basically been my life and it’s been an exciting and dynamic place to be,” Gorman continued thoughtfully. “I had the opportunity to discover an emerging era of adult and continuing education when it was becoming an important part of community colleges in the early 70’s and I’ve seen it grow into a stellar program here at MPCC that can match any in the country. That’s really something to be proud of.”