San Diego Community College District

Future impact┬áA massive $1.555 billion effort is under way to transform the nationÔÇÖs sixth-largest community college district, Gary Toushek learns. The San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) serves approximately 100,000 students each semester at three two-year college campusesÔÇöCity, Mesa and MiramarÔÇöand six continuing education campuses in San Diego.  These institutions provide a wide range of courses from career technology opportunities to two-year transfer degrees to the University of California and California State University systems, to programs in Continuing Education for graduate equivalency diplomas, basic skills in math and English, regional occupational programs, as well as English as a second language, and a non-credit emeriti program for older, active adults. Degrees and certificates are offered in more than 2,000 disciplines. ÔÇ£We currently have about two million square feet of facilities that support our educational mission,ÔÇØ says David Umstot, vice chancellor, facilities management. ÔÇ£Our team is responsible for maintenance, operation, custodial and groundskeeping, as well as capital planning and execution of our bond program. Interestingly, my responsibilities also include our college police department. WeÔÇÖre fortunate to have a chief of police who does a splendid job.ÔÇØ The SDCCDÔÇÖs major source of funding for capital improvements is its bond program. Two separate bond issues approved by local taxpayers and voters, Proposition S in 2002 and Proposition N in 2006, are financing a $1.555 billion effort (the fourth-largest in California) to ÔÇ£profoundly transformÔÇØ each of the three colleges and Continuing Education campuses. ÔÇ£Square footage is being doubled to four million over the next six years, and weÔÇÖre making good progress,ÔÇØ says Umstot. ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖre spending about $150 million this fiscal year [ending June 30, 2009] and another $195 million in the next fiscal year [beginning July 1]. We currently have 10 projects under construction, 28 in the design stage, and 17 more in the planning stage for the future.ÔÇØ Although this expansion program was approved long before President Obama expressed his vision and ideals for a 21st-century modernization of the nationÔÇÖs education platform, it effectively showcases a manifestation of those ideals.One of the current projects under construction is the Career Technology Center (CTC) at City College. It is a new five-story, 88,000-square-foot building designed to house the expanded Nursing program, Cosmetology, and Photography and Digital Arts programs, and the new City College Campus Police station. It is one of two City College projects being constructed on two blocks of property the SDCCD purchased in downtown San Diego. ÔÇ£It was designed with building information modeling [BIM] software and is our first facility to be constructed using this design method,ÔÇØ says Umstot.┬áÔÇ£It will serve as the new entrance to the campus and play a prominent role in the community.ÔÇØ SDCCD has a green building policy that calls for each new building or major renovation to provide students, faculty and staff with working and learning environments that are healthy; comfortable; efficient with energy, water and materials; easy to maintain and operate; safe and secure; and sited in an environmentally responsible manner. All projects are to be certified at a minimum of LEED Silver. The CTC is targeted for LEED Gold certification, and a LEED Platinum project is currently in design for the Miramar campus. ÔÇ£There is a lot of research related to how green buildings positively impact organizational behavior of staff, as well as improved student performance,ÔÇØ Umstot says. ÔÇ£The architecture should also blend into the existing design of the campus, so that the buildings appear to belong there.ÔÇØThe sustainable features included in each project are unique. The CTC, for example, has a photovoltaic array mounted vertically on its adjacent parking structure. All buildings in California are required to be energy-efficient per the stateÔÇÖs Title 24 statute, which is more stringent than the ASHRAE standard used as the basis for LEED energy efficiency points. Umstot notes that the initial capital cost of a building is typically only about 10 percent of the total ownership cost. ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖre always considering what we can do with the design and sustainable features to reduce the long-term maintenance, energy and operating costs.ÔÇØUmstot admits that the current economic downturn in California is impacting the construction program. ÔÇ£We have some challenges. Out of the $1.555 billion, we were eligible for $23 million of state funds for two projects. Those funds have evaporated due to the stateÔÇÖs budget problems; thatÔÇÖs the extent of the effect on our capital program. But more important, the bigger concern is how it will affect our ability to operate and maintain our buildings, since weÔÇÖve already cut $10 million from our operating budget this year and we anticipate that next year will be a fiscal challenge as well. So if our new buildings require less maintenance and lower operating costs, thatÔÇÖs ultimately positive for us.ÔÇØIn California, community college districts are funded by the state on a per-student basis and are required to spend at least 50 percent of their general-fund budget on classroom instruction. The remaining 50 percent must cover facilities, counselors, medical staff, admissions, maintenance and operation, food, libraries and bookstores. ÔÇ£As the economic pie shrinks, trying to comply with the various requirements becomes a balancing act. There are never boring days on this job,ÔÇØ Umstot shares.The new Allied Health Building at Mesa College will be a 50,000-square-foot, three-story LEED Gold instructional facility that will provide training facilities and classroom space for degree and certificate programs for five healthcare fields: Dental Assisting, Health Information Technology, Medical Assisting, Physical Therapy Assistant and Radiologic Technology. Its energy needs will be offset by power generated by photovoltaics on an adjacent parking structure. ÔÇ£This is a phenomenal project,ÔÇØ he says, ÔÇ£important for us because thereÔÇÖs a shortage of properly trained radiological technicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals other than doctors, not only in California but elsewhere in the nation. Typically it would take 18 months to construct this project, but weÔÇÖre going to compress it into 15 months because of the demand. This new building will allow us to expand our curriculum and get more students through the certificate programs and out into the workforce. For example, in San Diego County there were 85,000 healthcare jobs in 2005. By 2020, weÔÇÖre expecting to reach 125,000.ÔÇØ Umstot appreciates the scope of this massive undertaking. ÔÇ£There arenÔÇÖt a lot of opportunities in oneÔÇÖs life to have such a profound impact and influence on an educational organization and its students. What weÔÇÖre doing over the next six years will affect generations to come.ÔÇØ  ÔÇô Editorial research by Dan Finn┬á