Any homeowner knows maintenance goes a long way — until it doesn’t, and that long-deferred roof or plumbing upgrade can’t wait any longer. The campus of Seward County Community College, coming up on 50 years, is no different. That’s why the Board of Trustees set out to update, repair, and improve many areas of campus over the past two years, to the tune of $2.4 million.
Projects included necessary upgrades to heating and cooling systems, the college vehicle fleet and activity bus, and roofs. Some improvements were necessary for safety benchmarks, such as the new bleachers in the Greenhouse gymnasium, elevator lift for the Showcase Theater, and key-card entry system for the Student Living Center. Positive emotion continues with improvements made for the sake of a better student experience. From new laundry facilities — free of charge — for Student Living Center residents to the fire pit, sand volleyball court, and improved security, life as an on-campus Saint is significantly nicer. Improvements to the cafeteria and the addition of Louie’s Place cafe on the Industrial Technology campus spread the benefits around.
“In freeing up funds to do these important projects, we had to think long-term and explore all the options,” said Vice President of Finance and Operations Dennis Sander. “You never want to let the place go, but when capital improvement projects come up that are not yearly expenditures, and you have a static or shrinking revenue base, you have to work harder.” Some of the projects will be paid over a period of time, Sander said, while others were funded through cutbacks in other areas.
(Read more: Liberal First)