Committee Punts On For-Profit College Approval

Arizona College of Nursing opponents hold up signs in Common Council committee room. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

A for-profit college seeking to open in Milwaukee faces an uncertain fate before the Common Council, even as multiple city officials indicated the council appears to have limited to no ability to deny it.

The matter could ultimately be headed to court.

But on Thursday, the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee decided it was headed nowhere fast.

The committee voted to hold the matter without saying why.

Arizona College of Nursing wants to open its first Wisconsin location at the Honey Creek Corporate Center, a four-building office complex near Interstate 94 and S. 84th Street. A group of opponents, primarily made up of education advocates and labor unions, are opposing the school’s entry into Milwaukee.

Despite two colleges previously leasing space in the building, 9000 W. Chester St., the city is requiring property owner Greywolf Partners to secure a zoning change to add “college” to the list of permitted uses to the complex’s special zoning district.

Department of City Development planning manager Sam Leichtling said, after consulting the City Attorney, the department recommends approving the zoning change when considering only land-use factors. There are no known negative impacts from prior educational uses in the complex.

After Leichtling’s remarks, the committee, deputy city attorney Todd Farris and other city officials engaged in a private closed-session discussion before allowing individuals to speak on the matter.

Greywolf president Marilyn Herzberg said the firm had relied on the Department of Neighborhood Services‘ earlier issuance of building permits in its decision to expend $2 million on building out the 25,000-square-foot space.

The firm’s attorney, Rodney Carter of Husch Blackwell, said even if the council rejects the zoning change, Arizona could find other locations in the city where a college is already permitted. “The legal issue before you is succinct and we think it is pretty clear,” said Carter. “I think it is important to remember this isn’t the licensing committee. We are here on zoning issues.”

College representatives, including chairman Nick Mansour and associate provost Tamara Poole, said the business would help address a nursing shortage in Wisconsin by providing bachelor’s of science degrees. “Are dropout rates are not 60%,” said Poole. “Our graduation rate was 68%, which is higher than 13 of the 15 Milwaukee area nursing programs.”

She said only 10% of the clinical sites were more than 35 miles away.

The City Plan Commission, in its advisory role to the council, voted in February to reject the zoning change. Opponents had previously referenced many of the things Poole preemptively sought to defend.

“We are here to be a good partner,” said Mansour. He said the 30-year-old school would invest $1 million in building out the space and expects to create 47 jobs.

The college, not affiliated with the University of Arizona system, offers a three-year bachelor’s degree program with an annual tuition price in excess of $20,000 annually.

But a series of opponents raised concerns with Arizona and other for-profit schools.

Elsa, a 31-year-old nursing student at Milwaukee Area Technical College who gave only their first name, said they fell victim to a scam for-profit college (Platt) in Oklahoma. “At the time I was unaware that a college was capable of failing its students in the way it failed me,” they said. “Not only did the credits not transfer, but the college has closed entirely.” Elsa said now they are struggling with financial aid as a result of the Oklahoma experience.

Former American Federation of Teachers, Local 212 union vice president and MATC professor Charlie Dee said approving the zoning change would be failing to serve residents. “Everything we predicted about Everest’s fraud and damage came true before those scam artists slunk out of our community in disgrace,” said Dee about Everest Collge, which briefly operated in the city before closing in 2013. “Please don’t view this simply as a zoning change. It’s much bigger than that.”

“It is easy to enroll a Black, Brown, or vulnerable student into your nursing school,” said Milwaukee chapter president of the National Black Nurses Association Edna Hudson-Kinzey. “But to guarantee them that you will make sure they matriculate through and graduate, well, for-profit schools say that’s on them… Arizona, let me be clear, these students are not dollar bills.”

Other opponents that spoke included Milwaukee NAACP president Paul Blackman, Milwaukee Black Grassroots Network for Health Equity leader Dr. Quinton Cotton and Milwaukee Area Labor Council president Pamela Fendt. Members of the coalition held up signs.

Only one zoning committee member voted against the hold, committee chair Ald. Michael Murphy. “I think the arguments that were well made should have been made at the state; the state is the agency that regulates nursing colleges,” said the alderman in an interview. “My concern is if the matter is denied the taxpayers of Milwaukee, based on the advice of the city attorney, would not have a good case and we would be liable. The potential, based on today’s testimony, is a minimum of $2 million, plus potentially punitive damages.”

Murphy is not seeking reelection. His likely replacement, Sharlen Moore, appeared in the audience with the opposition, but left during the closed session period.

Former AFT 212 president Michael Rosen filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services‘ Educational Advisory Program about the college, but his complaint was denied because the college does not currently operate in the state, nor is Rosen a student of the college.

Dee said the state had made it clear that it was only going to step in after damage was done. “Let them sue,” he said of Greywolf and Arizona.

Related Legislation: File 231146