Ready to Roll

Western Michigan University educator Dawn Gaymer's job is to assess opportunities the same way any businessperson weighing a new venture would.

Southwest Florida, Gaymer concluded after an assessment a couple of years ago, offers opportunities to raise the university's profile and add to its offerings — just like WMU's Cooley Law School in Riverview, Hillsborough County, did. Next, she made believers of the board of WMU's Extended University Programs, where Gaymer is associate provost.

The first part of the Southwest Florida venture — the state's first public four-year aviation college — is set for takeoff. And while the College of Aviation carries the Western Michigan University name, once the college leaves WMU's home of Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, it's on its own financially.