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Rise in Tornadoes, Floods Poses Risk to Colleges
What if the sort of extreme weather that has left the University of Iowa inundated in floodwaters is not a freak event? What if it is a sign of things to come? (Photograph by AP Images)
Art & Architecture Renovations Near Completion at Yale U.
Paul Rudolph's 1963 Brutalist icon is getting a makeover, plus an addition by Charles Gwathmey.
Guest Blogger: Anne Stephenson
Even the greenest construction project increases a college’s carbon footprint.
Other News
Land-Rich Universities Weigh New Options for Real-Estate Development
Universities are taking advantage of new ways to develop their holdings through corporate partnerships, a new report says.
U. of Iowa Begins Mucking Out and Assessing the Damage
The university's insurer spent the weekend starting to assess the damage to the auditorium and 19 other flooded buildings.
U. of Iowa Flooding Takes Costly Toll in Research and Equipment
Parking lots are under water, some roads leading to the campus are closed, and the campus utility infrastructure is damaged.
New campus buildings
Multimedia
A Green Building as a Billboard for Science
(A 2006 Chronicle video)
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About Buildings & Grounds
Buildings & Grounds is written by Scott Carlson (left) and Lawrence Biemiller (right). Scott Carlson writes about architecture, facilties, energy, and sustainability, among other topics. Lawrence Biemiller writes about architecture and facilities and contributes to Notes from Academe. What's happening on your campus? Let us know.
Are Community Colleges Becoming Design Showcases?
Chaffey College’s Marie Kane Center for Student Services and Administration won an award from the San Diego chapter of the American Institute of Architects. (Image courtesy of gkkworks)
Are community-college campuses at last becoming design showcases? For years two-year institutions put up buildings that were almost defiantly unremarkable, but recently some community colleges have been seeking out cutting-edge architects—and opening buildings to be proud of.
Money helps, of course. A number of California institutions are benefiting from bond issues that are making campus overhauls possible. Among them is Chaffey College, which has campuses in Chino, Fontana, and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Not only does the college have a number of projects under way, but its Marie Kane Center for Student Services and Administration, which opened last year on the Rancho Cucamonga campus, just received an honor award from the San Diego chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
The 24,600-square-foot building was designed by gkkworks, of Irvine, Calif. It has student-services offices on the ground floor and administrative offices upstairs. The building is named for Marie Kane, who retired as the college’s president last summer.
Among other striking new buildings on community-college campuses are Edison State Community College’s Regional Center for Excellence and Johnson County Community College’s Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.
The Regional Center for Excellence at Edison State Community College (Image courtesy of the Collaborative Inc.)
The Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at Johnson County Community College (Image by Timothy Hursley, the Arkansas Office)
Comments
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These buildings are so impressive.What I want to know is, how many adjucts do these schools have? How much money are they paid? How much revenue do these projects generate – enough to cover the interest on the bonds?
— MUAP Feb 20, 02:49 PM #
I’m pretty sure private money was at least the seed for the JCCC Nerman museum. They have a long history of being the beneficiary of local philanthropists.
— C Godin Feb 20, 03:53 PM #
MUAP…Two very different issues with very different funding sources. But,regarding adjunct pay… not aware of anyone holding a gun to a perspective adjunct’s head to sign on so probably $$ paid were determined by the market conditions in the two respective areas. Regarding debt retirement, bonds typically cannot be issued unless institution assures interested parties such as bond raters that a plan exists to pay interest and principal from dedicated sources beyond operational funds.
— D. New Feb 20, 05:17 PM #
Re: MUAP
Comment # 1
Question 1. According to what I’ve heard and read, adjuncts comprise about 60-75% of the teaching straff at community colleges.
Question 2. What are they paid? Not much. Last year (FY 2007) I received gross monetary compensation in the amount of exactly $9075.44 as a senior adjunct teaching six courses during the academic year (average class size = 32 students). I received no benefits, although I am in the state pension system (PERS) to which I contribute from my gross pay. Should I work to age 67 (I’ve been there a decade and am aged 42 years), I will receive about $120.00 per month.
Question 3. I don’t know how much revenue the buildings generate, however, apparently not enough to increase adjunct salaries.
Thanks MUAP for your insightful questions. The county college where I work is currently in the process of planning a new physical plant and building upgrades. I thought that was wonderful until I realized that my pitiable adjunct salary shall remain pitiable while the college invests in new bathrooms: the door opens automatically, the urinal flushes automatically, the soap is dispensed automatically, and the towels shpoot out automatically. I didn’t go in the stall, but I’m wondering if the toilet wipes your ass automatically?
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks about such things.
— Constance Lavender Feb 20, 06:16 PM #
Attractive collegiate buildings are a real magnet for community students. And there’s nothing wrong with that. For my non-traditional students who balance college classes with a full-time job and a family to support and care for…a sharp-looking campus keeps them going full-steam. It’s inspiring for people who finally take the big step of going back to school. What a boon it is for them to have some “me time” (as my young mothers call it) at an attractive facility!
— Lowly Adjunct Feb 26, 11:51 PM #
Be it a community college or a prestigious university, whether funded by construction bonds and/or private donations, campus architecture that inspires students can go a long way toward engaging and motivating students on their journey through successful academic life. Kudos to all architects who design with this credo and to the administrators who encourage and champion inspiring architecture. The students will thank you in the long run as society will benefit as well. Dear Readers: I’d like to correct something that appears in the photo caption above: gkkworks’ design of the Marie Kane Student and Administration Center recently received an honor award from the AIA San Fernando Valley chapter not the AIA San Diego chapter. It is the fourth AIA award for this prestigious project, which was design directed by Edmund Einy, AIA. For more information, please contact, Paul Napolitano of Napolitano Communications (PR agency for gkkworks) at 626-332-9959.
— Paul Napolitano Mar 3, 06:22 PM #