Funding A College In The City Of Sheridan
Whitney Benefits has granted over $101 million to Sheridan College to date. Of the dollars granted to the college,
95% are spent locally in the Sheridan County economy.
SHERIDAN COLLEGE
One of the three directives of Edward A. Whitney’s will was to establish an agricultural college for both the head worker and
the hand worker in the city of Sheridan. Whitney Benefits has granted over $101 million to Sheridan College to date. Of the
dollars granted to the college, 95% are spent locally in the Sheridan County economy.
A current priority of both Sheridan College and Whitney Benefits is to create and foster community partnerships with the
following goals:
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Assess national trends in higher education funding and
collaboration.
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Foster cooperation between foundations to fund
programs at Sheridan College.
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Help create and improve career pathways for students
and current workforce to spur innovation with local
businesses.
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Find novel and innovative ways to assist post-COVID
learners to return to traditional and career technology
educations.
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Discussions with local school districts to support post-
graduation preparedness.
•
Collaboration with local government to address future
business planning.
Whitney Days
Sheridan College hosted the fourth annual Whitney Days event week at Sheridan College to honor Edward A. Whitney and
his legacy of support of higher education in Sheridan County. The events were a combination of informative, educational
and fun events to educate residents of Sheridan County, Sheridan College students and staff about Whitney’s life and
legacy and about the opportunities available at Sheridan College.
During the week of Sept. 22-26, 2021, Sheridan College hosted lawn games, a meet and greet with the rodeo team, “Walk
with Whitney” tours on campus, a community service food drive project with The Food Group, a s’mores social event in the
Whitney mall, coffee and doughnuts with the Whitney Benefits Board of Trustees, the two-day Pat Hamilton Memorial
Rodeo and a barn dance in the Sheridan College farrier science barn.
Whitney Benefits commits $25.3 M to Sheridan College
In 2014, Whitney Benefits committed to the largest gift in the history of Sheridan College in the amount of $25.3 million. In
2021, Whitney continued to fund this extraordinary gift with a grant of $2,127,290. The commitment from Whitney Benefits
to Sheridan College included the necessary $1.3 million required to complete the $8 million Mars Agriculture and Science
Center renovation project, $16 million to support the renovation and construction of the Whitney Center for the Arts, $2
million to support infrastructure and parking improvements on the main campus, and $6 million for approximately half of the
Tech Center renovation and expansion project.
New Residence Hall
In September 2018, Whitney Benefits committed $7.1 million to Sheridan College for the construction of a 100-bed
residence hall. $284,000 was gifted in 2021. The new residence hall was open for student use for the Fall 2020 semester.
It was named Centennial Hall in recognition of the 100-year legacy of Edward A. Whitney’s generosity.
The payments will be made over a 25-year time frame. The total project cost was $9 million with the remaining $1.9 million
being paid for by revenue from students’ residence hall fees. The new Centennial Hall includes three floors with traditional
rooms, common lounges, and study rooms. It is located just east of the Thorne-Rider Campus Center at Sheridan
College.
Allied Health Building
Whitney Benefits has been committed to the Allied Health Science programs at Sheridan College
for decades, dedicating millions of dollars toward equipment, teaching instructors, endowed
health educational chairs, health practicums, and capital construction projects.
In 2019, Whitney committed $1,710,000 to Sheridan College over three years for construction of
a nursing and dental hygiene building to be named the B.F. and Rose H. Perkins building -
$570,000 was paid out in 2021. In 2020, Whitney committed to donating an additional $1,000,000
over three years to Sheridan College for construction costs for the remodel and new sections of
the Allied Health Building - $300,000 was paid out in 2021. That is a total of $870,000 paid to
Sheridan College for construction of the B.F. and Rose H. Perkins Allied Health building in 2021.
Whitney Benefits remains committed to the educational excellence of Sheridan College students
and believes in the need for outstanding health care professionals to live and work in Sheridan.
Collaboration continues with other donors and local foundations on this local community program.
Second Century Legacy Grant
In 2018, Whitney Benefits announced a gift of $11,369,000 to Sheridan College in remembrance of Mr. Edward A. Whitney
who passed away 100 years prior. In 2021, $1,704,000 was gifted. The gift is to support faculty in several academic areas
including: agriculture, machine tool technology, welding
technology, diesel technology, general and visual arts, and the
music program. These programs were all selected as potential
growth areas and align with regional economic development
priorities.
Also included in the grant is support for marketing and
recruitment as well as funding for the creation of a student
success mentoring program modeled from the current TRIO
program at Sheridan College. This program will improve student
persistence and completion by utilizing a contemporary mentoring
model that goes beyond traditional advising to include
comprehensive service, from selecting a career path through
acquiring the first job upon completion.
The Whitney Second Century Legacy grant added 18 full-time positions, and one part-time position at Sheridan College.
These positions have led to the following enrollment numbers:
Certified Nursing Assistant Program
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91 enrollments in 2020-2021
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High demand – currently over 500 CNAs employed in
Sheridan County
Welding Program
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329 enrollments in 2020-2021 in 33 courses (49.2 FTEs)
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Medium demand – currently over 500 welders employed in
Sheridan County
Diesel Technology
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211 enrollments in 2020-2021 in 25 courses (29.2 FTEs)
Computer Program
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177 enrollments in 2020-2021 in 18 courses (25.0 FTEs)
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Collaboration with SCSD#2: 600 annual elementary, junior
high and high school students enrolled in computer coding
classes at SCSD#2 schools
Machine Tool
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209 enrollments in 2020-2021 in 24 courses (30.6 FTEs)
City of Sheridan
THE GIFT OF WATER
In 2021, Whitney Benefits gifted the city of Sheridan in excess of 50 million gallons of stored Park Reservoir water to assist
in watering Sheridan’s parks, pathways, and greenways, including the Sheridan Recreation District’s Thorne-Rider Park,
Oatts Baseball Complex, Dan Madia Field, as well as the city of Sheridan’s Washington Park, Black Tooth Park, the elk
pasture, and Kendrick Park. Water is also donated to Sheridan County for the Sheridan County Fairgrounds.
Additionally, Whitney contributes water to the University of Wyoming Science and Research Center located at Whitney’s
Adams Ranch for students and educators with experimental test plots and crop irrigation.
Whitney Community Advisory Group
The Whitney Community Advisory Group was created in 2004 to provide input from various community members about
current Whitney projects and events. The group helps to oversee operations at Whitney Commons and Whitney Plaza and
provides valuable community input. The current community members include Steve Carroll, Bill Gatley, Andrea Mellinger,
Becky Newton, Stacia Skretteberg, and Judy Stallman.
Whitney Benefits supports community projects including the Whitney Community Advisory Group, Sheridan College, and
City of Sheridan.
Community Projects
An Educational Foundation by the late Mr. Edward A. Whitney
© Whitney Benefits, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Phone: 307-674-7303