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AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGES
ADDRESSING NURSING SHORTAGE AND
NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES
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By Susan Caba
A shortage of nurses and increased national security issues are driving growth—both in physical plants and academic programs—at St. Louis-area community colleges, say leaders at those schools. Administrators for such institutions in the region say new buildings are underway, or will be by the end of summer, to help meet those needs.
St. Louis Community College will break ground for a fourth campus, to serve the mushrooming population in West County. St. Charles Community College is adding three buildings to its 235-acre campus, while Southwestern Illinois Community College is going forward with the first construction phase of a $40-million classroom building and a state-of-the-art fire-training tower. Lewis and Clark Community College turned dirt recently for a building to house its nursing program.
The local activity mirrors national trends, says SLCC Chancellor Henry D. Shannon, past chairman of the American Association of Community Colleges. In a survey of 1,200 member schools, the organization found allied health programs—especially nursing—were the most frequently identified “hot” programs and that 65 percent of the schools responding had reviewed or modified programs in response to homeland security needs. Nursing programs at all St. Louis-area colleges turn away applicants because hands-on training space is limited. Other allied health programs are also growing.
“Community colleges train most of the first responders in a crisis—emergency medical technicians, fire, police and nurses,” says Shannon.
SLCC planning campus in Wildwood
The campus on 66.2 acres on the corner of Highway 109 and Old Manchester Rd. in Wildwood will be SLCC’s fourth. Groundbreaking this year on the $23-million first phase should mean the three-story building—which will replace the existing West County Education Center—will be ready for in the fall of 2007. The building will contain offices, a bookstore and 16 classrooms. Seven buildings are planned.
 Model of SLCC Wildwood campus building to be completed in the fall of 2007. |
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SLCC is seeking partnership with a four-year university, in a “two-plus-two program” in which students take two years of credit at the community college and two more as university students. The approach is in use elsewhere in the country.
Last fall, SLCC opened a new hub for its engineering and manufacturing programs, the $4.8 million Emerson Center. Shannon says those programs are thriving in the expanded facilities, built with the support of the Emerson Company.
SLCC launched a series of public workshops in June [2005] to assess the community’s future needs—especially in the areas of health care, biotech, technology and workforce training—and how best to meet those needs. The sixth-month project is supported by grants from Civic Progress and the Regional Business Council.
SLCC administrators are also close to a decision on expanding the Harrison Northside Education Center to better serve residents of north St. Louis. In addition, SLCC is one of nine community colleges in the nation to receive a $45,000 grant from the MetLife Foundation to develop programs to help male minority students succeed in college. Vashon High School and Project PEACE, a community-based youth program, will be partners in the two-year program.
St. Charles Community College adding three buildings
Construction is underway on three new buildings at SCCC, after a June 16 groundbreaking ceremony on the Mid Rivers Mall Dr. campus. The $13.1-million building project—Phase 4 of a long-term plan—has been accelerated so that the space will be ready for classes next year. Occupancy at existing buildings is 87 percent, compared to an 18-state standard rate of 65 percent.
The new buildings will include a two-story classroom building, a one-story bookstore-café, and a one-story art building. Site work began last year. The entire project, which will include renovation of some existing buildings, will cost about $25 million, to be paid for with a voter-approved $23-million revenue bond issue. When completed, the campus—which has won architectural awards for its contemporary design—will include 12 buildings.
Enrollment was up nearly five percent this spring, says Winnie Stufflebam, the school’s vice president for Institutional Advancement. Overall, enrollment is up more than 75 percent over the last seven years. Besides the general education degree, the most popular programs at SCCC are nursing and other allied health programs, including occupational therapy assistant, health information technology, medical records and practical nursing.
Southwestern Illinois moves ahead on expansion
State initiatives to increase and enhance the workforce are contributing to continued growth at Southwestern Illinois Community College, with campuses in Belleville, Granite City and Red Bud. The college received $7.7 million in state economic development money to pay three-quarters of the cost of a new academic building on the Belleville campus and $880,000 for a Fire and Rescue tower to train both urban and rural emergency responders.
The new academic building will include 16 classrooms, a computer lab, an expanded Barnes & Noble bookstore, and office space. Construction began in June; completion is expected by the end of 2006. The building is the first project in a series outlined in a new Master Site Plan. The projects include creation of a quadrangle, four new academic buildings, a parking lot, a lake and rerouted roadways, says SWIC President Elmer H. Kirchoff.
The Fire and Rescue Training facility, being built in conjunction with the city of Belleville, will feature classroom space and a four-story tower for simulating high-elevation rescues and firefighting operations. The state will fund the tower to fulfill preparedness requirement set by the Office of Homeland Security. SWIC will offer 11 new certificate programs to train firefighters to State Fire Marshall standards.
| The construction of Southwestern’s Fire and Rescue Training Center, located in Belleville, Ill., will serve the specialized fire and rescue training needs of both rural and urban areas
of the region. |
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The school spent $4.5 million last year to renovate the main building on the Belleville campus, including the addition of a second Success Center that enhances classroom instruction. Course completion and retention rates are higher for students who use the Success Centers at all three campuses.
New academic programs include an associate’s degree in Engineering Sciences, with specialties in mechanical, chemical, civil, electrical and industrial engineering. Students with a background in information technology and an interest in network security can earn certification as a CISCO security professional.
SWIC is a member of the East St. Louis Community College Center, a state-mandated coalition to offer transfer, remedial and adult education coursework to students in under-served areas. The goal is to move them as quickly as possible into the job force with vocational training. State Opportunity Returns grants cover up to half the costs to train workers in construction trades, security jobs, office technology and fire and rescue jobs. More than 1,000 people will have participated through 2005.
Lewis & Clark expanding Nursing program
| 55 out of 150 nurse applicants were accepted at Lewis and Clark Community College, 10 more than usual. |
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The Daisy and Roger P. Templin Nursing Building, to be built at a cost of $14.5 million, will house Lewis and Clark’s expanded nursing program, says President Dale Chapman. The four-story building, partially financed by a $2.5 million gift from the Alton Memorial Health Services Foundation, will allow the school to expand its nursing program by 60 percent. This year, in an effort to address the shortage of registered nurses, the school accepted 55 out of 150 nursing applicants, 10 more than usual.
The school is adding two study programs, Exercise Science and Therapeutic Massage. The re-emergence of holistic health care theories means more jobs for therapeutic massage specialists. The program at Lewis and Clark will emphasize professionalism, ethical conduct and concepts of health and wellness related to massage, as well as the basic and most effective massage techniques. The Exercise Science program, in partnership with local sports, recreation and fitness centers, is based on the standards of the American College of Sports Medicine. After graduation, students can begin working in the fitness industry or transfer to related programs at a four-year university. Possible careers include athletic training, fitness specialist, certified aerobics instructor, and personal trainer, as well as sports psychology and sports management.
Lewis and Clark celebrates its 35th anniversary this year.
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