Regents approve construction bids

by Courtney Bullard, news editor

 

The South Plains College Board of Regents approved bids for construction on the Communications Building and renovations on Texan Dome during their February meeting.

 

Construction manager Jim McCutchin presented the bids for the Communications Building to the Board. He presented contractors who had the best bid and were capable of doing the job well.  He said that having the contractors compete with bids saved the college money without compromising quality.

 

Local contractors will do more than 30 percent of the work required, according to McCutchin, which is the most on any project for the college. According to Mike Box, president of the SPC Board of Regents, McCutchin was able to save the college $ 70,000. Box thanked McCutchin on behalf of the Board for the work he had done.

 

 “We appreciate you,” Box said to McCutchin. “You know the people and how to do the job,” said Box.

Construction on the Communications Building will cost an estimated amount of $578,000. Bids for the renovations on Texan Dome are not complete, but the Board approved some amounting to $1.1 million.

 

Dr. Kelvin Sharp, president of SPC, estimates that the overall bid will be $1.5 million. Renovations will include a new roof and replacement of the windows, which will help insulate the Dome and improve utility bills. There will also be improvement in the lighting and sound system.

 

 At this time, it is very difficult to change light bulbs and fix the speakers in the Dome. There will be a catwalk built beneath the ceiling of the dome so a trained member of the SPC staff will be able to fix these problems instead of having to hire the work done from outside the college.  There will also be some work done to the floor above the court that will give a finished look.

“Ninety percent of visitors go to the Dome,” said Dr. Sharp. “We are trying to create a great first impression.”

McCutchin also told the Board that during the next meeting they would be able to walk through the Fine Arts Building to see the improvements. He promised them that they wouldn’t recognize the place. He also explained that at this time the mural inside the building cannot be seen because of the tinted windows but will be more visible soon as the lighting fixtures are added.

During the 50^th Anniversary Commencement Exercises in May, Earl Gestenberger, an original member of the SPC faculty, will receive an Honorary Degree from SPC. Grestenberger was nominated by Dr. Sharp last February for this year’s degree, and the Board unanimously agreed.  Gerstenberger had many responsibilities at SPC in the beginning, not only teaching but also beautifully changing the landscape of SPC.

Stephen John, vice president for institutional advancement, presented the Board with the Community Report for 2006 to 2007. The booklet, titled “Building Upon our Success,” reviews the college’s many accomplishments from the past year.  Some of those accomplishments include expanding the college with the Plainview Center, improving technology with downloadable instruction on itunes, and improving transfer opportunities.  Also, high school dual credit automotive programs, as well as SPC’s automotive programs, have teamed up with Texas Tech University’s vehicle engineering program to create a clear path to a bachelor’s degree in automotive engineering.

“Students exit South Plains College with a high level of skills that you may not receive from a liberal arts college,” said John.

There will be 8,000 copies of “Building Upon our Success” sent out.

Dr. Sharp also discussed the upcoming 50^th Anniversary Gala, which will be held on March 1 at 6:30 p.m.  The Gala is near to being sold out, with tickets that cost $100 per person. The facility has already exceeded maximum capacity and is now changing seating arrangements. They are continuing to sell tickets but have to stop soon.

“It shows a tremendous amount of support from the community,” said John.

Official enrollment for dual credit for spring 2008 increased 86.8 percent for online courses. Onsite courses and two-way video courses slightly decreased, which is expected for the spring semester, according to Darrell Grimes, vice president of academic affairs.

Regent Jim Montgomery asked Grimes how on-line classes compared to in-classroom courses as far as the learning and success rate. Grimes responded that in-classroom is likely more successful, but there are students who do well with on-line classes. He said that they must be self-disciplined and self-motivated.

Official numbers for Spring Enrollment are in, with an overall increase of 300 students from last year.  The Levelland tax district increased from 5,397 students in the fall of 2007 to 5,594 students in the spring.  The Plainview Center saw an increase of 25 students, while dual-credit courses increased by 181 students overall. The Reese Center decreased from 3,129 students to 3,055.