Miles Community College

About

75 Years of History Miles Community College Brief History Miles Community College was founded in 1939. For almost 20 years, the College, then titled Custer County Junior College, operated out of a few rooms in the local public high school. In 1957, the College moved into the former Milwaukee Railroad Depot building. 1939 Faculty In June 1967, the College moved into a new building that was constructed after passage of a bond issued by county voters. On April 4, 1970, voters of the district elected the first independent board of trustees for the College. In December 1971, Miles Community College was granted accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. During academic year 1971-72, a new student center was constructed. A grant of $1.5 million from the Montana Coal Board in 1977 enabled the College to construct a new vocational building and a library learning resource center classroom addition. Construction of a physical education complex was completed in November 1980. In August 1997, four new dormitory buildings were added to the student housing complex; and in October 2003, the College completed a new $2.3 million dormitory. Economic Impact Study A newly released economic impact survey, Demonstrating the Value of Miles Community College, documents the vital role Miles Community College (MCC) plays in the economic future of the students and the MCC service area, which includes 22 counties in southeastern Montana. The report concludes that Montana taxpayers see a 2.2 benefit-cost ratio, i.e., every $1 in costs returns $2.20 in benefits. The average annual return on investment for taxpayers is 5.4%. The overall effect of MCC on the service area’s economy during the analysis year amounted to $21.8 million. The analysis year reflects Fiscal Year (FY) 2012-13. The study finds meaningful economic impacts for students at Miles Community College. For every dollar a student invests in their education, they receive a cumulative $5.50 over their working careers. That equates to an average annual return for students of 22.2%. Compared to someone with a high school diploma, associate’s degree graduates earn $11,100 more per year, on average, over the course of a working lifetime. Additionally, the accumulated contribution of former students currently employed in the regional workforce amounted to $16 million in added income during the analysis year. In this study, Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. (EMSI) applied a comprehensive model designed to quantify the economic benefits of community and technical colleges and translate these into common sense benefit/cost and investment terms. “MCC creates a significant positive impact on the local business community and generates a return on investment to its major stakeholder groups – students, society, and taxpayers,” indicated EMSI. The study includes two major analyses – the Regional Economic Impact Analysis and the Investment Analysis.

Jobs at Miles Community College