Focus groups citing a desire for a "true college" experience and a Steering Committee's placement as one of their top 3 priorities, JCC is evaluating the practicality of dormitories on the their campus.
The plan for dormitories as well as other possible upgrades to the campus, such as Higher Education Center and Collaborative Learning Center are part of JCC's proposed master plan.
The plan is the same plan that garnered attention early this year during the state budget talks because JCC missed the state deadline for submission and therefore was not funded in capital projects.
Citing the need for new and improved classroom space, as well as study and lounge space JCC outlines several new areas for development over the next few years, such as a Collaborative Learning Center, Higher Education Center and Dormitories.
The Collaborative Learning Center will become the new hub of the campus combining new classrooms, library, counseling, classrooms, tutoring, cyber cafe' and other features into a single building.
The Higher Education Center will feature space for more classrooms to focus on higher and continuing education, a resource for other colleges to function in order to provide 4 year degree programs, workforce development and space for larger community activities.
Dormitories will place JCC in the company of the other colleges in the area along with the majority of colleges in the state who have dorms for student living. The dorms will bring a "true college experience" to the campus.
The cost of renovations will require support from the state, county and a capital campaign in order to accomplish the goals.
19 comments:
Speaking of education, it should read JCC "Destined" for dorms.
Professor Anon 1
des·tine
–verb (used with object), -tined, -tin·ing.
1. to set apart for a particular use, purpose, etc.; design; intend.
Destine is correct!
I hope you don't interpret the bible the same way you interpret a dictionary.
When John Henderson was President of JCC people involved with the Miss NY State Pageant and former members of the Bd of Trustees purchased land adjacent to the college, constructed dormitory buildings to provide the college indirectly, what the college could not provide for itself indirectly. When the college did not use them as intended, a great project wound up as a great loss for the investors. The buildings are still available to serve their original purpose.
This is nuts! JCC is nothing more than a poor excuse for a big high school. Does anyone in their right mind actually think that the majority of _Community Colleges_ in the state have residential programs? I doubt that very many county community schools have dorms, if any. "Focus Groups" and "Steering Committees" only desire tax money and lots of it. There is an old saying in government, "If you don't spend a lot, you can't steal a lot". State and local governments need to learn to keep their hooks out of both private and business people's money. There would be alot more jobs and alot more commerce in New York and its North Country if the various jurisdictions didn't penalize desirable activity by taxing the $-h-i-! out of it. Nothing will ever put JCC in the acedemic company of Clarkson and SLU, and most certainly not student housing. Lets start with demanding acedemic excellence in our area k-12 schools, we are already being emormously taxed for that. Then kids of true college material wouldn't need 2 years at JCC to "mature".
"a lot" is two (2) words.
Let's start by spelling academic correctly.
I'm in my RIGHT mind and I do believe that a number of state community colleges have dormitories including Onondaga, Mohawk Valley, North Country, Herkimer and Sullivan. Come on--let's not ridicule an institution by trying to upgrade its attraction for students. Know your facts before condeming an institution of HIGHER learning!!
The anon. who says that JCC is nothing more than a "poor excuse for a big high school" is wrong. I went to a Community College in New York State. The four year college that I attended next gave me all but a couple hours short of full transfer into their college. Frankly, I found the four year college to be less attentive, less thorough and less demanding and of course more expensive than the Community College. The Community college experience made it much easier for me to earn my BS and then masters. I am proud of the Community College experience and would recommend it to anyone.
After many successful years for JCC, there are thousands of students who will also disagree with anon.
And, yes, the Community College I attended had dorms.
I think this is great for the city of Watertown, and Jefferson Community College. I went to JCC a few years ago, and met some wonderful professors. I attended Georgia State University when I graduated from high school, and I more fun learning at JCC than at a D-1 school. I support bringing dorms, because whether everyone wants to admit it or not, Watertown is growing very rapidly. This move will not paralyze the city's growth at all.
With the area that students come from I see no need for dorms. As a previous poster said " The college never used the ones that were built" The statement is true, I don't think there's much problem finding places to live. Spend the money in other areas.
All of the education one receives during the college years does NOT come in lecture hall, lab, or from a text book.
There is much to be said about learning to survive "almost" on your own.
Being dropped off at school and left "almost" on your own can be a very sobering (or "non sobering") event.
I live w/in 20 miles of JCC and would encourage my kids to live in dorms if they were available.
JCC does lose students from our area due to a desire to live away from home and fails to bring some students in due to lack of housing.
Dorms probably are closer to being self sustaining in a $/square foot sense than class rooms and libraries.
Build the dorms.
Ironic to me ... I started offering proposals to the county back in 1995, and for several years running since about "Converting JCC into a 4-year SUNY College at Watertown."
My pitch was sound economic advise and I had the proof to show a solid rationale {expected growth in the area, which I saw coming}, but I was laughed at plenty by the county governing body each time I stood up and adressed them.
I remember one member asking me, "Mr. Francis, what if someone only wants an Associate Degree, a 4-year college takes that away. And, anyway, we like our 2-year school and should keep it just the way it is."
I didn't have the heart to explain things to him otherwise.
Now, wow ... dorms and 'higher educ center for advanced degrees' well ... it's a good, yet pretty late start. I'm proud to say I told you so...
A SUNY Watertown would be the biggest economic boom to this region since the original Fort Expansion in the early 1980's.
In any case, it's great to see some movement like this, but still it is not fast enough ... turn loose and ask Albany to fund a conversion to a 4-year college.
Let's move smartly into the 21st Century and catch up with the rest of the world around us.
Education is a huge business and we must be part of it. I'm disappointed it has taken this long for even these baby steps, and at this pace, it will still drag out for years ... we need to move faster - there is a need and that need is now.
JCC DOES need dorms.
JCC does NOT need to be 4 year school.
The goal should be to get a greater % of local students, that otherwise wouldn't attend any college, enrolled.
Make JCC the best 2 year school in the state. There is a sufficient number of 4 year choices w/it an hour of Watertown.
"Good 4-year schools with an hour of us - let's keep our 2-year school."
My friend, take your head out of the sand.
We have a need and the growth of a 4-year school here would astonish everyone, believe.
Our kids leave for a 4-year school, their/Mom's and Dad's money leaves, and they do not commute that "one-hour" you mention. They live on campus and Mom and Dad has to go visit them; stay in a Motel nearby (usually) and that region/location profits. Why can't we?
We are the largest city north of the 90... we need to maximize it.
BTW: my frined, one can obtain an AA/AS degre from a 4-year school.
Your brand of parochialism is fine but not when everyone around us is speeding by. (4, 4-year colleges in a 10-mile radius Canton-Potsdam)...
We have a need - and we need to move forward and get out of 2nd gear.
Dan,
for the record
my head may be in the sand, but I can spell "friend".
we have never met, though I've suffered through your windmill jousting rants on Live at Five for years, so please don't call me "friend"
Lastly, when JCC reaches a level of superiority in the 2 year realm, I will gladly listen to your argument(s).
For a certain Anonymous:
My motto and that of all poor spellers of the world is:
"U N T I E ...
I think JCC should have dorms. Mohawk of Utica, Onondaga of Syracuse, TCC of Cortland all have dorms. Students from out of the area would be more willing to come, and there is financial aid to the students for dorms, but not for apartments in Watertown. The cost of an apartment in Watertown is quite high and then there is the transportation piece to get to the school. Most of the students in the OCC dorms are right from the Syracuse area. Dorms would allow our local students, who no longer want to live at home, to go to JCC. They could start small and just build a couple townhouse-like dorms similar to Onondagas. I know the athletic teams would sure like them as the baseball team brings in players from Canada and the basketball team kids from the city. All these athletes pay tuition too, so it may help increase the enrollment.
Dorms and 4 year schools are two COMPLETELY different discussions. So Danny, stick to your own blog.
Initially, I did not favor the expense of dorms for JCC. But the housing situation has change dramatically for JCC students since the Ft Drum expansion (1987) It is much more difficult for students to obtain housing than it was a decade or two ago. Their nine month schedule does not compete with the 12 month need of soldiers and contractors in the area.
It's time to complete and/or present a thorough housing assessment (FOR STUDENTS) to determine where the OOT students are staying, and what the costs are. I would not doubt that a housing crunch for students exists.
THAT SAID: there is only SO MUCH capacity at JCC, with their campus confined by the Black River and I-81. PIPE DREAMS of converting this to a HUGE MEGA CAMPUS for a dwindling demographic are completely off course, and will only infringe on the REAL ISSUES facing this compus for the foreseeable future. So stick the self-serving rants . . .
I told YOU so.
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