Page 5 - College Planning & Management, June 2019

Editor’s Note THE VIEW FROM HERE
Does It Matter?
Do the facilities in which higher
education takes place really matter? Do colleges and universities need shiny new state-of-the-art, visually appealing buildings in order to achieve their mission? If you answered “yes,” what does that say about institutions that hold classes
in leased space in an office park, or a sparsely
converted storefront, or those who operate without buildings at all, but instead instructors teach online to students scattered
at a distance in their homes, learning in their living rooms or kitchens? I spent my first two years of higher ed in a small community
college in the northeast. At the time I attended, the building was relatively new. Three years old, to be exact. Before that, the college “cheerfully camped out in a colorful succession of utilitarian prem- ises” in the downtown of its community home. The story of the new campus—one sizable, rambling building built in three terraced levels into a hillside—was that it was originally designed to be built in California, and there was, allegedly, an identical campus somewhere in California. California and Massachusetts have different weather patterns. Vast expanses of glass on the building made it a chilly place to be in the winter, and completely enclosed outdoor courtyards on the upper terraces saw accumulations of snow that couldn’t be easily removed but instead were simply piled up to the side with walking paths shoveled through the middle.
In addition, there was a considerable amount of clay in the soil beneath the campus. This meant that the building was very, very slowly sliding down (or at least resettling on) the hillside upon which it was built, which led to repeated misalignments of the one elevator in the facility.
With all that said, I felt that I received an excellent education during my two years at this school. I was aware of the less-than-ideal aspects of the building—especially in the winter—but none of them prevented me from doing what I was there to do; further my education.
In this issue of College Planning & Management, we are featuring the winners of our annual Education Design Showcase. The outstand- ing projects featured in the showcase range from an 825,600-square- foot campus master plan to a 10,000-square-foot renovated learning space. Ultimately, all these featured projects will achieve their in- tended goal: educating the students who come to learn within them. Congratulations to the winners! CPM
Editor
soconnor@1105media.com
Campus Scene IN THE SPOTLIGHT
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Vaughan Metropolitan Center. The more than 12,000 square-foot addition will include seven classrooms, faculty and administration offices, and student lounge areas. There are nine full-time faculty and administrators as well as a number of part-time faculty and supervisors on staff at that location, and more than 300 students.
University of Montana Launches
Paramedicine Program
Missoula College of the University of Montana has estab- lished a new degree in paramedicine, which leads to careers for emergency medical services professionals. The Montana Board of Regents granted permission to establish the new Associate of Applied Science degree in May. Missoula College plans to start training the first cohort of students to become emergency medical technicians and paramedics this fall.
“This is an exciting new degree option that’s coming,” says Dan Funsch, chair of the college’s Health Professions Department. “The program offers great opportunities for students, while contributing to community health and addressing a workforce shortage.”
The program requires four semesters and 73 credits to com- plete. The state Department of Labor classifies paramedicine as a high-demand occupation. CPM
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