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Masterplan to offer glimpse of MHCC of the future
The Advocate
MHCC employees will get a sneak peek this morning at preliminary plans for what the college may look like in the near future.
Included in the long-term plan is a one-stop student center, increased and improved signage and an internal circular roadway connecting all major campus areas.
A presentation of the MHCC masterplan will be offered to college employees today at 11 a.m. in Room 2728. A presentation of the masterplan to students will take place the first week of February, according to June Jacobs, assistant to the president for strategic initiatives and board relations.
Architect Deb France, who is designing the masterplan, will be at the presentation today to gather more input.
MHCC President John Sygielski said, “We expect more student input” as the project continues to grow, input from faculty, staff and community members is also welcomed by the committee.
There have been several presentations, but there now will be more people involved, more input and more changes to the masterplan, said Sygielski
Sygielski also talked about putting the plan on the MHCC website, so that people can see it and make suggestions or comments on the preliminary designs.
The design work started in June 2009 and the first presentation to the district board was in August.
Jacobs said, “The board has been asking for this for a long time.”
Sygielski said he hopes to present a final plan to the board this spring. “The board is very committed to the masterplan” and gave approval to start designing a masterplan, Sygielski said.
A committee was started to design the masterplan. The committee included board members Dave Shield and Brian Freeman, the president’s cabinet and the executive cabinet, as well as representatives from high schools and colleges in the area.
Sygielski said there have been forums throughout the college to help with the preliminary designs of the masterplan.
One of the first things that Sygielski would like to change is the signage — or what he calls “wayfinding” — because “people we have interviewed have indicated that it is tough to get around the whole campus.”
Sygielski said that preliminary bids indicate the cost of signage would be around $500,000, which includes internal and external signage.
Sygielski said existing signage is not properly placed, not seen or there is none at all. The signs in front of the college would be updated, as well as making the entrances to the college wider and with greater emphasis.
Along with the changes to the entrances, the preliminary designs show a loop road around the college that will be closer to the buildings to create more room for parking.
The Visual Arts Center would be included in this loop and a roundabout would be put in place to extend the road to the athletic complex.
This road would be accessible for bicyclists, pedestrians and motor vehicles.
Sygielski said he also envisions a one-stop student center that would include all of student services, such as the registration office, counseling center, financial aid office, etc.
“I don’t like it at all,” Sygielski said when asked about the way student services is set up now.
The student center would be a “wow-space” for all programs, according to Sygielski, who is hoping to bring back the shape of the mountains and the MHCC logo in the design of the student center building.
“We’re still listening to all constituents,” Sygielski said when asked if any of these plans are able to change. “Part of the process is accumulating ideas.”
One of those ideas included adding more lights and skylights and perhaps enclosing the stairwells.
Another idea includes making a patio area, on part of the roof of the main Academic Center, where people could look at Mt. Hood and perhaps hold outdoor faculty and student events.
Sygielski said if the college continues to grow and enrollment goes up, there will not be enough classrooms on campus and the planning committee is looking at other places to put buildings.
One of the ideas is to put more buildings where Industrial Technology and the Child Development Center are now and to update those buildings.
Sygielski hopes to create more of a “college feel” in the area where students can “hang out.”
He added that it is possible to expand into the back 40 and that the college is even thinking of leasing land there to raise money.
“We will not sell that land. We will use it to our benefit,” said Sygielski.
There are also preliminary ideas to create a stage area outside the CASS/IALS program, downstairs from the College Center.
After the board approves the plans, the board, Sygielski and Vice President of College Advancement Cassie McVeety will put together a list of short-, middle- and long-term projects and start looking for funding.
“We don’t expect all state funding,” said Sygielski.
He said one of the ways the college would hope to fund these projects is to create naming opportunities for donors.
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