President reports campus progress

Park noted that the two-year renovation of Old Admin is complete and that she was excited that programs for teacher education, justice studies, English and humanities, social sciences and communication arts can call the state-of-the-art facility home.

Although the building is finished, she noted that construction of the parking lot replacement to the south of the building is running behind schedule, but expects it to be completed within a few weeks.

Also still in progress is the new pavement and drainage project along 12th Street adjacent to the football stadium. A new retaining wall has been constructed along the field with decorative fencing and street lights. She said future street light replacements on campus will match those fixtures.

While the construction projects are most visible improvements to people on campus, Park said one of the largest changes this fall involves a transition of technology. CSC is making the switch this week from the online learning platform eCollege to the open source Sakai. She said the switch has not only gained support from a large majority of faculty members, and also will be a large money saving for the institution.

Park also congratulated the staff of the CSC Child Development Center for its recent certification as one of the nation’s 24 certified Nature Explore Classrooms by the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation. Construction of that project also was completed this summer.