New building expands technology for greater learning experience
By Alexandra Cash
Staff Writer
As you walk through campus you may wonder what that fenced-in pile of mud is.
No, Jackson Community College is not building a mud-wrestling pit, nor is it digging a hole to China. The site will be home to the new Information and Technology Center, which will be completed in summer 2007.
When the college was built in the 1960s, the master plan included a major library in the center of campus, said Cindy Allen, executive director for community relations.
However, the plan never saw the light of day. Instead, the library started in the lobby of McDivitt Hall, then moved to Walker Hall.
The new ITC will be two stories tall and total 57,000 square feet. The style of the facility is aimed to be modern and open. The outside brick will match that of the other buildings at JCC. The building will have many large windows that will offer more natural light inside.
The purpose of the facility is to bring many different kinds of learning resources together in one location, including a large, open-access computer lab, multiple "smart" and multimedia classrooms, and training centers. Shorter stacks of books will be available for easier access, and use of reference material will become more convenient.
The facility will offer areas for students to relax and chat with friends without disturbing serious studiers.
The new ITC also will house the campus's information technology personnel, who help to maintain all the student and employee computers and networks on campus.
Once the library moves out of Walker Hall, all that space will be available for a new use. Plans are to expand the growing Center for Student Success and provide more resources and opportunities for students to get the help they need, Allen said.
However, the bigger vision is to move student services from the Potter Center to the new hall, she said. The hope is to provide one stop for students who need to apply, register or take placement tests.
The estimated cost of the facility will be $15 million. Half will come from government funding, Allen said.
The rest will come from a new student fee, starting this fall, that costs roughly $10 per credit. The fee will be charged until the cost is paid off.