$16 million plan getting under way
By Staci J. Sessler
The college is taking on a $16 million Master Plan.
"We’re really excited about moving forward with it (the Master Plan) since the board approved it," said College President Dr. Jean Goodnow.
Work on projects in the plan has been underway since May when re-roofing efforts were begun on buildings D, E, and G. The shingles are being replaced with a longer lasting and more durable metal roofing system. Dr. Goodnow commented that they were slightly behind schedule due to a few problems.
"We had planned to have the roofing done by the time classes started as to not have any interruptions," she said. "Fortunately we haven’t had any interruptions."
The Master Plan has been broken into three phases, short term, intermediate, and long term, all of which will last approximately 8 to 10 years.
"The board has agreed to take it (the plan) in chunks in order to pay for them," said Goodnow. "We have prioritized the projects."
The first phase of the plan includes a $6 million Life Safety project that will last from one to two years. Asbestos will be removed from the ceilings in buildings A, B, C.
"We are addressing the asbestos removal issue before it becomes a health risk," Goodnow said.
Other repairs being looked into as part of the Life Safety project is the fire alarm system and a possible emergency system to notify people in case of a disaster.
Goodnow said, "A lot of the initial phases involve things that are infrastructure because the buildings are so old."
This will cover the replacement of doors, exterior sealants , and insulation to maintain cost efficiency. Windows are also being replaced as part of this phase.
"The new thermal pane windows recently installed in D building are far more energy-efficient and weather-resistant than the previous single-pane windows," Goodnow commented.
The college is also undergoing an Electrothermographic survey that is looking at all of the wiring for possible replacement.
Other topics for phase one include the installation of new fiber optic cables for the computer network and the replacement of all phone lines. The East Campus and the Gym will be networked to the main building.
IVCC is also looking to provide better programs so that students can get better jobs and be better prepared to enter the work force.
"We did have a great deal of involvement across the college with our faculty and support staff and administrators providing information to the architects about what our needs are," said Goodnow. "We also went out into the community businesses and industry to look at what our potential programs should be."
Once that is established, the college will look at what space is available to accommodate the new curriculum and what needs to be done to make more space.
Some of the ideas include a new building in the future to group together student services and the development of a student center.
The Intermediate Phase, which will last from three to eight years, includes the development of a better air filtration system. Some of the buildings will also be getting new paint.
"We’re looking to get rid of some of the dark browns and replace it with lighter colors to give it a brighter appearance and make it cheerier," said Goodnow.
By 2008, the entire Master Plan should be completed.
Sept. 17, 1998 the Apache