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Southeast Community College outlines Beatrice campus expansion, groundbreaking set for Ag Technology Center
Summary
Southeast Community College officials told the Beatrice City Council the campus is adding programs (including a utility line worker program and a one-plus-one RN pathway), reported rising enrollment and invited the council to a groundbreaking for a new Ag Technology Center at 2000 Progress Boulevard as part of a broader master-plan update.
Southeast Community College told the Beatrice City Council on April 6 that its Beatrice campus is expanding academic and career programs as it revises a 10-year master plan and prepares a groundbreaking for a new Ag Technology Center.
Tony Linerberger, associate vice president of operations and development at Southeast Community College, outlined organizational changes that separate campus leadership from system vice-presidential duties and described several new or restructured offerings. He said the campus launched a welding certificate and opened a welding trade center in fall 2025, will add a utility line worker program this fall ("We have 20 spots open. We have 30 students who have been accepted."), and restructured nursing education into a "one-plus-one" pathway allowing licensed practical nurses to progress directly into the associate degree nursing program.
The presentation emphasized enrollment and student housing: the campus started the fall term with about 550 students, roughly 318 living on campus. Linerberger said the college serves many students from Gage County and across Nebraska, including about 25 international students. He described sports and co-curricular offerings and said the campus seeks to make technical certificates stackable into diplomas and associate degrees.
Linerberger introduced the Ag Technology Center project, a phased replacement for Ford Hall that will focus on precision agriculture, agronomy, soils and Ag mechanics and include classrooms, an instructional Ag mechanic shop and a greenhouse. He invited council members to a groundbreaking scheduled Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. at the site on 2000 Progress Boulevard.
Councilors and staff discussed coordination between the college and the city on utilities and road jurisdiction for Progressive Boulevard; the council later vacated and conveyed Progressive Boulevard to the college to clarify maintenance and utility responsibilities. The city and college said clarifying ownership will support the campus master plan and future capital work.
Next steps: the council approved the ordinance conveying the right-of-way to the college that evening and scheduled any remaining hearings and recordings necessary to complete the property transfer and the college's project timeline.
