Glendale
Community College
NCA
Self-Study Report, January 2002
Physical
Resources—Facilities
Glendale Community
College is a multi-campus college.
The main campus is located on 147 acres and has over 620,000 square feet
of buildings. GCC North is located
on 75 acres, has 10,000 square feet of space that belongs to the College and an
additional 10,000 square feet that belongs to the Deer Valley Unified School
District #97. All buildings at the
site are moveable structures, although to the casual observer they appear to be
permanent. In addition, GCC has
been granted an “easement” onto the ASU West campus to run the
University-College Center (UCC). Over
the last 10 years, many improvements to and expansion of the main physical
plant have occurred.
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Glendale Community College, main campus
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GCC North
Physical Resources--Classrooms and Laboratories
At GCC and GCC North,
a balance exists among multi-purpose classrooms, specialized laboratories,
larger lecture spaces, and smaller seminar rooms and study spaces. In general, the classrooms are
adequately equipped and reflect the requirements of faculty and students. Over the past several years, increased
emphasis has been placed on replacing classroom furniture, re-painting and
re-carpeting the classrooms, and replacing ceiling tiles. The College Facilities Committee is developing
a plan that would provide for this effort on a cyclical basis.
The Physical
Sciences laboratories were upgraded when the new building was constructed. The Life Sciences laboratories have
been well maintained and equipped; the rat research area is unique to a
community college. The occupational
laboratories vary in quality, with the outside automotives lab probably in most
need of updating. The CAD program
has current equipment and engineering and technology spaces meet instructional
needs. The business
programs’ laboratories are adequate. The High Tech Centers provide outstanding computing
resources for all disciplines. The
art and photography labs were improved when Fine Arts was remodeled.
Physical Resources--Partnership Facilities
GCC has been able
to expand its facilities as a result of partnerships with other entities. A partial list includes:
· City of Glendale Fire Station owns the
building on College land (northeast corner of the main campus), including two
classrooms and one faculty office
· The City of Glendale built the pool; operational
expenses are shared
· The John Deere partnership has created
moveable classrooms on the east side of the campus
· The GM Training Center was built through
partnership contracts
· GCC North, a 20,000 square-foot extension site
built in collaboration with Deer Valley Unified School District #97
Offices and Commons Areas
Many faculty
members still occupy their original 70 square-foot offices and have had to
accommodate new computer tools into spaces that did not envision such
equipment. The new offices reflect
these new needs, however the process to update existing offices has been slow,
even though progress in that direction is acknowledged. Space for adjunct faculty has been
designed into the new structures, but the amount of space available to these
critical members of our faculty is severely limited. The creation of the Virtual Office, a technology resource
for all adjuncts, is one way the College has attempted to support them. The number of meeting rooms is limited
and such spaces are always at a premium. While basically unchanged since it was
constructed, minor modifications to the Student Union have been made.
Off-Campus
Facilities
The College
defines "community resources" in the broadest sense of the word. As needs surface, additional classroom
space may be leased from surrounding high schools; the College has leased space
from DVUSD #97 in the past.
However, the College also uses high-school facilities for delivery of
dual-enrollment classes taught on the high-school campuses by high-school
instructors during regular contact hours, granting the students both
high-school and college credit.
In addition, there
are clinical facilities in hospitals used by our nursing program; the EMT and
Fire Science programs utilize specialized community facilities for portions of
their training programs, i.e., an off-campus small-arms range is shared by the
Administration of Justice and Police Academy training programs; specialized
Physical Education courses occur on golf courses, bowling alleys, and ski
slopes.
Telecommunications Project
The 1994 bond
initiative provided funds for improved voice, video, and data systems for the
District and College. In a
continuing effort to improve service for student and employee needs,
GCC’s network infrastructure has been rewired and the phone system
replaced, also providing for telecommunications requirements at GCC North.
The
telecommunications system was enhanced to support additional cable installation
and provide pathways to new buildings, planned and unplanned. A complete fiber optic cable network
was installed, linking campus buildings together, not only for data but for
HVAC control and security systems as well. In each building, a self-contained data closet was built,
allowing for specific environmental control for data communications
equipment. Two new "Category
5" data cables were pulled to each workstation location, and networking
electronics were upgraded to connect all workstations to the campus
network. The telephone system was
completely replaced, providing capacity for growth, as well as providing new
capabilities on campus, within MCCCD, to the community, and beyond.
Student Services Facilities
By March 2002, the
new Enrollment Center should be occupied by the appropriate services
(Admissions and Records, Academic Advisement, Financial Aid, Cashier/Business
Services, Transfer Center, and Registration). The staff has attempted to create a one-stop center for the
majority of student-service needs--the hope of bringing all of them together
was limited by the dollars available.
The former administration building has been remodeled for Testing and
Disability Services and Resources, putting these two services in the front of
the College as well.
After these spaces
are occupied, the former Enrollment Center will be remodeled for Career
Services and Counseling. In
addition, ACE Plus, Mentoring, and Multicultural Services will have remodeled
spaces in the center of the former SPS building. All of these efforts should provide improved space for the
student-services staff, which in turn should help improve services to students.
Achievements since 1992
· New Music building (9,450 square feet);
renovation of the original Music building
· New Humanities building (11,100 square
feet)
· New faculty offices-Bookstore-Copy Center
building (19,480 square feet)
· New Physical Sciences building, recipient
of American Institute of Architects (AIA) award
· New math faculty offices/Math Solution
addition (9,149 square feet) to a former Science building that was remodeled
for mathematics instruction
· New Enrollment Center (16,000 square feet),
scheduled for occupation in March 2002
· New outdoor amphitheatre, designed by and
named for Paolo Soleri, and recipient of an “Excellence in
Concrete” award
· Remodeled Administration building for
Testing and Disability Services and Resources
· Remodeled Fine Arts building and expanded
space for the Art and Photography Department
· Upgraded central plant, winner of an award
for accomplishment
· Remodeled and expanded Library Media
Center, recipient of the Valley Forward “Crescordia” award and AIA
award (42,040 square feet)
· Upgraded faculty office buildings 01, 02,
03
· Replaced track and upgraded press box and
men’s baseball field
· Relocated and upgraded women’s
softball field
· Expanded parking lots in north and in
southwest corners of the campus
· Built GCC North, including required
infrastructure and parking lots, for a total 10,000 square feet; accommodating
on site an additional 10,000 square feet for DVUSD #97
· Remodeled the former Bookstore for Network
Services technicians and Help Desk, and soon-to-be-vacated Student Services
space for administration and selected student services (expected completion
January 2003)
· Constructed grounds maintenance facility
· Constructed western loop road to facilitate
movement of traffic from the south to the north of the campus
· Initiated major energy conservation
efforts, including change-out of all light ballasts
· ADA study completed and accommodations made
to a majority of restrooms and ramps (including railings) and automatic doors
installed in major traffic areas
· Increased outdoor study spaces for students
(tables, benches)
· Major campus landscape projects on
southwest and west
· Constructed/renovated classrooms, offices,
and Library Media Center on the main campus (410,000 square feet)
Team
Analysis
Team 7
conducted an initial analysis of factors likely influencing the areas of
improvement and their relationship to the measures of success, including
adequate facilities (technology, curricula, community), utilization of facilities,
and security/safety. The team
found a major strength in the aesthetic beauty of the campus. Not only are the grounds attractive,
but adequate facilities, along with sufficient technology, also provide most of
the instructional and service needs to support the new pedagogy that faculty
pursue. Another strength is that
the College fosters good community relations and is considered an asset to the
city of Glendale. However, as
instructional programs evolve in response to student needs, an opportunity may
present itself as the College finds an appropriate balance between
“bricks” and “clicks” when considering its revised
Facilities Master Plan. A weakness
was identified in the older facilities.
As contracts for updating the Master Plan will be issued in Spring 2002,
the College Facilities Committee will find it necessary to prioritize future
needs. A potential threat is the
failure of voters to pass bond initiatives.
Areas for Improvement
· Many of the buildings built between 1965
and 1980 require upgrading and remodeling to serve current instructional and
services needs
· Compliance with OSHA regulations and making
changes in facilities that will improve College insurance rates
· Expanded preventative maintenance efforts
· As the main College campus is "built
out," there will be less opportunity for past partnerships
· Regarding GCC North, more partnership
possibilities (beyond the one with the DVUSD #97) need to be explored
· Maintain currency of telecommunications
· Include multiple-funding options for long-range
planning
· Find balance between centralized (District
Office) and decentralized (College-based) equipment and services
· The balanced use of technology and learning
in classrooms, laboratories, and open laboratory environments will be a
continuing challenge
Recommendations
· Examine facilities utilization on the basis
of 12 months and not simply the academic year
· Improve signage across the campus
· Consider card-entry systems for all
buildings
· Develop a compelling and understandable
bond initiative for Fall 2004
· Create "fall back" plans for
maintenance and improvement of facilities, should the bond initiative fail
· Create a new Master Planning template for
new construction and remodeling for future College facilities needs
· Conduct classroom and laboratory utilization
study to ensure that facilities are maximized: new ways of scheduling
teaching/learning spaces; exploration of shared learning spaces; and
examination of year-round scheduling options
· Include adequate office spaces for faculty,
adjunct faculty, and other support personnel for new and remodeled facilities
· Create additional spaces for students to
gather and study
· Incorporate facilities review into the
program-review processes to ensure facilities remain responsive to
teaching/learning needs and student-services programs
· Continue one-stop philosophy, even though
services remain dispersed
· Continue to maximize the use of technology
to meet student needs while retaining the "high touch" often required
by the typical community-college student
Content Area Validation
Numerous
partnership possibilities remain within our immediate service sector areas, as
well as near to or north of GCC North.
Such partnerships could provide additional locations to alleviate some
of the facilities needs, supporting existing and future enrollment.
Physical
Resources--Maintenance
The Facilities
Manager is responsible for the maintenance, operations, and repair of all
campus facilities through the Maintenance and Operations Department (M&O),
providing routine maintenance and repairs, grounds maintenance, and custodian
operations. Specialized and
emergency repairs to the high-voltage and chilled-water systems, elevator
maintenance, fire protection, pest management, and moderate-to-major roof
repairs are contracted out.
Achievements since 1992
· Completed major maintenance projects
without using operational funds
· Installed environmental control and comfort
systems
· Renovated/upgraded the Central Chiller
Plant in 1998
· Installed new primary electrical feeder
service
· Installed new sewer line serving the Fine
Arts area; renovated restrooms in the Student Union; repaired tennis courts
fence; replaced fire hydrants in several locations; and upgraded
fire-suppression system inside the cafeteria kitchen
· Extended the fire-alarm reporting system
into the College Safety Office
·
Installed and
testing a computerized maintenance management system developed by MCCCD
· Modified the water system to stabilize and
improve the water pressure
· In 1997, GCC received a one-time District
allocation of approximately $450,000 for major maintenance
“refreshening” money for minor repairs, replacement or installation
of carpet, and re-painting--allocated by the Facilities Committee,
approximately 3/5 for classrooms, 1/5 for faculty offices, and the remaining
1/5 for special spaces. The
largest project so far was the refreshening of the Business building in Summer
1999. Projects are chosen
according to requests made by department chairs in the regular budget process
Team Analysis
Team 7 conducted
an initial analysis of factors likely influencing the areas of improvement and
their relationship to the measures of success, which included facility
assessment, response time for repair requests, and a preventative maintenance
program. The team determined that
“aging facilities” and not enough personnel were weaknesses. They also found employees’
professionalism to be a strength and the loss of 1994 bond money a threat. District’s facility planning and
development is an opportunity.
The team concluded that the maintenance department at GCC does an
exemplary job given the age of the facilities and the lack of capital repair
funds.
Areas for Improvement
· Evaluate existing infrastructure to
determine if it can support additional construction
· Deteriorating sidewalks
· Find balance between centralized (District
Office) and decentralized
(College-based) maintenance equipment and services
Recommendations
· Investigate new technology for cooling and
heating (e.g., solar)
· Elect a “building volunteer” to
collect complaints to be passed on to College Maintenance
· Provide each customer the capability to
send a request for service to the M&O Department directly from a desktop
computer
· Improve energy management
Content Area Validation
The College
maintenance efforts have improved and expanded as a result of the 1994 Bond and
through the development of the M&O/Crafts personnel. GCC has made tremendous progress in the
maintenance of its facilities.
Critical to its continued success will be the involvement of all faculty
and staff, acting as inspectors and stewards to maximize and preserve the
scarce resources.
Physical Resources--Planning
Building Construction and Renovation
The 1992 Master
Plan to upgrade the College’s facilities employed a Community
Growth/Demand model based on the Maricopa Association of Governments’
regional planning data and input from the community (Master Plan Volumes I
and I).
The plan also
included an assessment of College facilities. The 1994 bond initiative provided the necessary financial support
for the 1992 Master Plan. New
construction and renovation continues to be a collective process, largely
orchestrated by the District with faculty and staff input at all stages.
Facilities Maintenance
The
College’s Facilities Committee (FC) prioritizes all requests for the
maintenance and minor construction/renovation of facilities. Projects are limited to those under
$10K. The FC’s
recommendations are provided to the BDC for further review and incorporation
into the College’s overall budget (see FC Final Report).
Telecommunications and Computer Resources
The CTC is
responsible for telecommunications and computer-planning and resource
allocation. The CTC originally
developed a Five-Year Plan for upgrading College computer labs, which has now
become the “Quad Plan.”
In addition, the CTC recommends allocations for the Desktop Project and
other special projects.
Maintenance and training costs are built into this plan. Information about the Desktop Project
is available at
http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/apollo/desktop/gcc
Achievements since 1992
· The 1994 bond provided funding for much
needed construction on the campus.
In 1998, three buildings opened: an 11,100 square-foot Humanities
Classroom Facility, a 9,450 square-foot Music building, and a 30,500
square-foot Faculty Office-Bookstore-Copy Service Complex
· The Library Media Center renovation was
completed in Fall 2000. This
included 7,120 square feet of reclaimed space for classrooms and study and
conference rooms, yielding a 19% increase in useable space
· Also completed in Fall 2000 was a 10,000
square-foot addition to the Math building and construction of a new 31,500
square-foot Physical Sciences building.
The Math addition includes additional faculty offices and “Math
Solution,” a tutoring and testing center that serves over 8,000 students
each semester. The Physical
Sciences building is unique in its placement of classrooms on either side of a
common lab area, including a large common area for study, a conference room, and
a testing center completing this architecturally modern facility
· In addition to the facilities on the GCC
Main Campus, GCC North opened the doors to a 10,000 square-foot satellite
campus in Fall 2000 (an additional 10,000 square feet at GCC North provided by
the DVUSD #97). This 20,000
square-foot facility provides 13 classrooms, each with a capacity of 35
students; two computer labs; and an administration center that provides limited
enrollment, advisement, testing, and student services. GCC North is operated in collaboration
with the DVUSD #97 and ASU West and enrolled 700+ students in Fall 2000 in 35+
courses
· In 1996, GCC joined the Desktop Project, a
District initiative to place a full Internet and new system-compliant computer
with standard software palette on the desk of every Board-approved employee. GCC spent approximately $5 million on
new technology as a result of this initiative
· The UCC was established in collaboration
with ASU West to expand GCC’s course offerings to students on the ASU
West campus
· The M&O staff developed a facilities inspection
list and matrix to assess current buildings/facilities conditions in 2001,
collecting and validating data for the 2003-04 budget cycle
· The College has formed an active
Landscaping Committee to work with the M&O to improve the campus aesthetics
· Improved alignment and new road at the main
entrance help traffic flow
· Created additional parking in north lot
Team Analysis
Team 7 conducted
an initial analysis of factors likely influencing the areas of improvement and
their relationship to the measures of success, which were identified as
classroom utilization, currency of library collection, and currency of
technology and equipment for degree and certificate programs. The fast pace of technological change
was seen as a threat, but strong capital funding in the past was noted as a
strength. The upcoming bond
initiative and low afternoon enrollments were deemed opportunities.
Areas for Improvement
· Update the College Master Plan--the current
plan is fast becoming obsolete and will not support a future bond initiative
· Develop alternative strategies to serve
students in the event that the UCC facilities are no longer available to the
College
· Include a component for interim storage of
department equipment during future facilities renovation and construction
Recommendations
· Maintain capital improvement program
· Offer, promote, and support more afternoon
courses
· Collaborate with GCC North partners to
improve on-site facilities and equipment; include initiatives to offer more
computer and technology driven courses (e.g., language labs), install
up-to-date presentation systems, and develop facilities for Physical Education
and Recreation courses
· Continue to assess and develop new
strategies to increase parking spaces and improve safety
Content Area Validation
Facilities Master
Planning begins in February 2002 under the direction and assistance of DWL
architects. This effort will lay
the foundation for GCC’s participation in the proposed 2004 bond
initiative.
Last revised 1/8/02. Direct feedback to l.hawbaker@gcmail.maricopa.edu. See Legal Disclaimer.