KC gets closer to Phase II of its Vandalia Campus

By Editor | November 6, 2013 |

Though the release of state funding remains a big question mark, Kaskaskia College President James Underwood still believes that construction of the second phase of the Vandalia campus could start as early as next spring.

“If we get the state to release the funds this winter or early spring,” Underwood told members of the local campus advisory board on Friday, “we could have the building completed by the spring of 2015. It will take about 14 months for the construction phase.”
He said that several indicators give him hope that approval is near: the appropriation for the project has been made, the project is part of the capital bill and the capital development board is currently reviewing the drawings for the 25,500-square-foot facility. About $2 million has been received in local gifts from the estates of Ruth Davis and Mary Albert O’Neil. That money will be added to $5.6 million in state funding to complete the $7.6 million project.
Included will be a classroom and lab for the nursing program, a computer lab, six adjacent classrooms with moveable walls so that area can be used for large meetings or performances, a distance-learning classroom, three business incubator offices for start-up businesses, an industrial lab and a student commons area. Underwood pointed out a new offering that will be taught in the new building: an industrial robotics class that is part of KC’s Electronics Automation Computer Technology program.
“We’ll be able to offer a lot more things than we have in the past,” said Dr. Greg Labyak, vice president of instructional services. “It will be much more of a full-service facility than we’ve had room to offer in the past.”
Underwood said that enrollment at the Vandalia center continues to run ahead of projections, with 1,670 students enrolled during the 2012-13 school year. When the center was built, the goal was to have 1,200 students, but the enrollment shot up to 1,500 in the first year and has been more than 1,600 in recent years.
In addition to informing members of the advisory board about programs going on at the college, Friday’s annual meeting was an opportunity to hear from members of the board.
Vandalia Community Schools Superintendent Rich Well said that the college “has been part of the solution when we had to make cuts in classes.”
Underwood also pointed out that dual-credit classes at the high school have allowed students to earn college credits while still in high school. He said that by taking dual credit classes, students in Vandalia have saved about $123,000 in tuition costs during the past year.
“This program only works because people work together,” said Underwood.
Mary Schulze, director of KC’s Vandalia Education Center, also pointed out the cooperative relationship between the college and the Family YMCA of Fayette County.
“We have a very successful partnership with the Y,” she said. “Our students are going to the Y for physical education classes and to workout on their equipment.”
Underwood also highlighted the college’s effort to encourage GED students to continue their education.
“We want every GED grad to go on and get a degree,” Underwood said. “To encourage that, we’re offering every GED graduate a two-year scholarship to Kaskaskia College. We graduate about 200 students each year from the GED program. In today’s job market, good-paying jobs are hard to find without a post-secondary education.”