By Greta Lieske
IV Leader Editor
The Illinois Valley Community College population will be
seeing some changes on East campus this fiscal year. A new truck driver training
(TDT) facility and student parking lot are among the changes that are expected
to be completed by the end of the spring 2009 academic semester.
IVCC President, Jerry Corcoran explained that the
improvements to the TDT facility are necessary due to many of the occupational
programs on East campus being housed in “temporary” buildings that are nearly 40
years old. Plans to improve the TDT facility have been discussed “continually”
and “now that the welding lab and auto tech facility improvements are complete,”
focus can be turned to the TDT this fiscal year.
Corcoran is confident that the changes to east campus will
benefit everyone involved.
“Our program coordinator, instructors and students will be
delighted with the changes we have in store for them. Everyone will be able to
practice handling trucks and trailers on a newly-paved skill path, the program
will be housed in a new 3,300 square foot facility and parking will be more
convenient and safe.”
IVCC Student Trustee Cassie Fuller noted that the new TDT
facility “will cost quite a bit more than initially expected (because of the
high price of oil), but it is something that really needs to be done and the
price will only rise in the future, so we decided to approve the bid given by
Phalen Steel Construction Co. of Mendota.”
As far as the appearance of the new building, Fuller
explained that it will match the metal roofs of all the other buildings on east
campus, but will include “storm shutters for the windows to make the building
safe in case of any natural disasters.” These extra precautions mean that the
TDT building would be the building to go to in an emergency for all on East
campus, added Fuller.
The new student parking lot will be a combination of the
existing gravel lot, which will be repaved, and a connected additional lot. When
completed, the new lot should have approximately 650 parking spaces, said
Corcoran.
Fuller noted, just as with the new TDT facility, the new
parking lot is “more expensive than we had expected, but it too would only get
more expensive and it is really needed for students.” Students will have to make
some sacrifices for the new campus improvements, since there will only be
approximately 80 parking spots in the gravel lot on East campus during the fall
and spring to prioritize for students taking classes in East campus facilities,
but, according to Corcoran, “good things in life are worth waiting for.”
Corcoran explained other planned improvements, which will
include “significant facility accessibility improvements to the courtyard and
main entrance in the fall semester, if weather permits” and “Lauri Carey and our
horticulture program students are planning to finish the retaining wall project
near the main entrance to Building C, as well as improving the entrance to the
board room by adding an attractive arrangement of fresh plants.”
Corcoran is “excited” about the new campus improvements, but
he mentioned that his ultimate goal “is to have everyone celebrate student
success.”