During a presentation at last week’s meeting of the Winslow City Council Northland Pioneer College (NPC) informed the council that enrollment has not only recovered from the pandemic but is now exceeding pre-COVID levels, while the college prepares to expand access through new online programs and a major regional event planned for Winslow.
Rich Chanick, associate vice president for external relations at NPC, said the institution is in a strong position locally even as state funding uncertainty looms. “The state of the union for NPC is really good right now,” Chanick said. He highlighted progress at the Little Colorado Campus, crediting a directive from new NPC President Dr. Von Lawson to deepen ties with the Winslow community.
Chanick said that Lawson wants to ensure the campus was not “just kind of a building that was out on the east side of town.” Changes included making it easier for organizations to host events, welcoming local food trucks to campus on a regular schedule and hosting St. Mary’s food distribution at the site each month.
The college reported significant enrollment gains tied to the introduction of free summer tuition. “We’ve increased our summer enrollment by 77% in unduplicated headcount,” Chanick said, noting that enrollment now surpasses 2019 levels. Student retention has also improved, exceeding pre-pandemic rates by about 5%, which Chanick described as a meaningful and positive trend.
President Lawson, who said he has lived in Winslow for nearly a year, emphasized that the college belongs to the communities it serves. “NPC does not belong to us. It does not belong to the 500 people that work there. It belongs to the communities,” he said, crediting past generations who pushed to establish higher education locally.
Lawson announced that NPC will begin offering its first fully online programs next fall, expanding access across the college’s 22,000-square-mile service area.
“We want to give people an option,” he said, pointing to parents, working adults, and residents who may only be able to attend classes at unconventional hours.” He also announced that NPC will host its first-ever gala next fall at the Winslow campus, bringing leaders from all nine campuses together to celebrate students, staff and community partners.
Earlier in the meeting, the council celebrated a major student achievement, recognizing the Winslow High School Dance Line for winning the state Game Day Dance Championship. The title marked the program’s third consecutive state championship, following wins in 2023 and 2024.
In a proclamation read aloud, the council praised the team’s sustained excellence, calling the three-peat “an extraordinary and rare accomplishment” that reflects exceptional consistency and discipline. The proclamation described dance as “a demanding and highly competitive athletic endeavor requiring strength, endurance, coordination, teamwork, artistic expression and countless hours of dedicated practice,” recognizing the dedication behind the title run.
The proclamation stated that achievements of this caliber “extend beyond trophies and awards, building character, discipline, confidence, and resilience in our youth,” while also serving as a point of pride for the entire community. The team was invited forward for photos and applause during the public meeting.
In other business, the council:
* Approved an extension of an agreement with the county for court collections and justice services, including but not limited to fee collection and use of county public defenders at the city justice court. Cost to the city is $64,705 annually.
* Approved services with AECOM Technical Services for grant and project management services related to the I-40 Tradeport and will be an on-call basis fees not to total more than $50,000.
* Approved a professional services agreement with The Kruse Group for lobbying services at a cost of $5,000 a month.
The next meeting of the Winslow City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 13, in the meeting room located at 523 W. Second St.
