Section III: Comprehensive Standards (Resources: Financial and Physical Resources)

3.10.7.  The institution operates and maintains physical facilities, both on and off campus, that are adequate to serve the needs of the institution’s educational programs, support services, and mission-related activities.

JUDGMENT OF COMPLIANCE

Compliance.

NARRATIVE/JUSTIFICATION FOR JUDGMENT OF COMPLIANCE

Northeast Alabama Community College demonstrates compliance in operating and maintaining physical facilities, both on and off campus, that are adequate to serve the needs of the institution’s educational programs, support services, and mission-related activities.

On-Campus Physical Facilities Are Adequate to Support Needs. The campus of Northeast consists of 113 acres with fourteen buildings, each of which makes its own contribution in support of educational programs, support services, and mission-related activities. These buildings are briefly described as follows:

·      The George C. Wallace Administration Building houses the Business Office, with the switchboard, supply room and mailroom; the office of the Dean of Administrative Services, the Financial Aid Office, and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness; a photocopying facility; the GED Testing Room; a developmental reading laboratory, a general classroom and the Yearbook Room. The Wallace Building supports the following mission-related activities:  

§        Goal One: open-door admission (through the GED Testing Program);

§        Goals Two, Three, and Six:  general education, transfer and career courses, and technical/vocational courses;

§        Goal Four: qualified personnel with adequate support, through the Business Office and related facilities;

§        Goal Five:  developmental reading instruction;

§        Goal Ten: procurement and administration of financial resources.

·        The Math and Science Building provides laboratories and classrooms for physics, chemistry, math, and humanities; offices for faculty; and a tiered lecture room. The Math and Science Building supports the following:

§        Goals Two, Three, and Six: general education, transfer and career courses, and technical/vocational courses.

·       The Annex contains classrooms and the bookstore.  The Annex supports the following goals:

§        Goals Two, Three, and Six:  general education, transfer and career courses, and technical/vocational courses.

·       The Nursing Building accommodates classrooms and nursing laboratories with space for equipment and individualized, computer-assisted studies. This building supports two goals in particular:

§         Goals Three and Six:  courses in transfer and career programs. 

·         The Student Center provides a cafeteria, a large dining area for students, a guest dining room, counseling offices, the Admissions and Student Services offices, and the campus security and physical plant offices. A computerized, dedicated laboratory serves for COMPASS assessment, the diagnostic instrument used to identify students who need developmental coursework.  This building is in specific support of the following goals:

§        Goal One: open admissions;

§        Goal Eight: student services, through the Office of Admissions and Student Services; 

§        Goal Five:  developmental education, through the assessment that takes place in the COMPASS lab;

§        Goal Eleven: maintenance of physical plant, through the Physical Plant and Security offices. 

·        The W. M. Beck Health and Fine Arts Building houses art, music, the Learning Logic Laboratory (mathematics), Adult Basic Education, the gymnasium (with a newly renovated Wellness Center) and an outdoor tennis court, and general classrooms. One classroom is allocated to truck driver training, a program of the Adult Education and Skills Training Division. The Health and Fine Arts Building contains the Small Auditorium, which is used for musical productions, community service meetings, classes viewing audiovisuals, and faculty and staff meetings. The building also provides class laboratory areas for piano, stringed instruments, the Jazz Band, and vocal groups (Chorus and Ensemble). This building contains a Conference Room for authorized community groups who wish to meet on the NACC campus. The large and multifaceted building serves the following mission goals:

§        Goals Two, Three, and Six: general education, courses in transfer and career courses, and technical programs;

§        Goal Four: professional development for faculty through use of the Small Auditorium;

§        Goal Five: developmental education through the mathematics laboratory and the Adult Basic Education facility;

§        Goal Seven: training for business and industry through the truck driving classroom; 

§         Goal Eight: student services, through physical education facilities;

§        Goal Nine: community services, through use of the Small Auditorium, the conference area, and Adult Basic Education. 

·         The Maintenance Building provides facilities for the upkeep of the physical plant and grounds.  This building is a necessary support to one particular goal:

§         Goal Eleven, the provision and maintenance of a physical plant suitable for the institution’s programs and services.

·         The Emergency Medical Services Building houses Emergency Medical Services training areas and offices. This building supports at least two mission goals:

§         Goal Six:  technical and vocational education;

§         Goal Seven:  training that meets specific educational needs of community    businesses and industries, through the many ways in which the EMS program provides training to community healthcare personnel.

·    The Harry Campbell Business Education Building houses faculty offices, business classrooms and lecture rooms, and the Student Government Association Office. A student writing laboratory with word processing resources is located in this building.  The Business Education Building supports the following:

§      Goals Two, Three, and Six:  general education, courses in transfer and career programs, and technical programs;

§         Goal Five: developmental education, supported by the writing laboratory;

§         Goal Eight: student services.

·         The Cecil B. Word Learning Resources Building houses an audiovisual room and audiovisual resources, a 25-station distance learning facility, classrooms, and faculty offices as well as library stacks (approaching 52,000 volumes) and a 23-station Internet-equipped computer resource for students. The facility recently established a word processing room for student use.  The Learning Resources Center supports the following:

§         Goals Two, Three, and Six: general education, courses in transfer and career programs, and technical education;

§         Goal Nine, through community use of the library.

·         The E. R. Knox Science Laboratory Building houses chemistry and biology laboratories and faculty offices.  This building supports the following goals:

§         Goals Two, Three, and Six: general education, courses in transfer and career programs, and technical and career education programs.

·         The Tom Bevill Lyceum houses the theatre, drama classrooms, and offices. The lobby of this facility serves additionally as a location for meetings, special presentations and institutional and community social functions. The vocal performing group Encore is at home in the Lyceum. The drama department uses the theatre to host three productions annually, each of which presents eight performances over two weekends. Total annual attendance at the performances is approximately 15,000. The Lyceum contains two classrooms and areas for set construction and storage. It also provides a location for community forums, faculty and staff in-service activities, guest lecturers, and graduation exercises. This facility provides support to several goals:

§         Goals Two and Three:  general education and transfer programs;

§         Goal Four:  professional development for faculty;

§         Goal Nine:  community services for personal growth and cultural enrichment.

·         The Charles M. Pendley Administration Building houses the offices of the President, the Dean of Instruction, the Dean of Technology and Workforce Development, the Dean of Extended Day, the Director of Promotions and Marketing, the Director of High School and College Relations, the Veterans’ Affairs Director, and the Registrar’s Office (Management Information Services), in addition to classrooms and computer laboratories. Space within this facility is also allocated to Work Keys assessment activities, a function within the Technology and Workforce Development Division. This facility provides support to the following goals:

§         Goal One: open admission;

§         Goal Six: technical and vocational programs;

§         Goal Seven: training to meet specific needs of business and industry, through the Adult Education and Skills Training Office as well as the WorkKeys facility;

§         Goals Two and Three: general education and transfer courses.

·         The Technology Center houses industrial electronics, computer-aided drafting, and faculty offices. The opening of this Center in the Fall of 2002 gave a home to developing technical programs and meanwhile freed space for the Adult Basic Education Program, which moved to campus July 2003. This facility provides specific support to one goal:

·         Goal Six:  technical and vocational programs.

Facilities renovated within the past two years include classrooms and laboratories to accommodate enrollment increases, a chemistry lab, offices and a conference area for the Adult Basic Education program that joined Northeast July 2003,  and a classroom where an upper-level institution is holding 300- and 400-level classes on campus. Major renovations were completed in the Math and Science Building during the 2002-2003 year, resulting in two new well-equipped biology/microbiology labs, a refurbished physics lab, and a new math classroom. In addition, all hallways in the building were painted, giving the entire building a more welcoming appearance. The Learning Resources Center (LRC) has been completely repainted, and new carpet is scheduled for the second floor during 2004. A new office has been constructed on the second floor of the LRC for a speech instructor in order to provide downstairs office space for an additional librarian.

A Wellness Center has been added to the gymnasium area of the Health and Fine Arts Building. Staffed four afternoons per week, the center offers free weights, a universal unit for total body workout, light cardio equipment, abdominal equipment, and an indoor walking track. 

Additionally, a .7-mile nature and walking trail was opened on campus in the fall of 2003.  This trail circles a four-acre lake. Northeast students, personnel, and community members are encouraged to use the trail for exercise, relaxation, reflection, and study during daylight hours. Further plans include creating an indigenous Appalachian plant area and establishing an outdoor classroom.

Comprehensive Standard 3.8.1, Library and Other Learning Resources, documents additional use of the Northeast facilities in fulfillment of Goal Nine of the Mission and Goals Statement: Community services which support personal growth, cultural enrichment, and societal activities; provide access to college facilities for community activities; and promote community, social, and economic development.

The Facilities Master Plan Sets Priorities.  Northeast utilizes a five-year facilities master plan to schedule and prioritize facility needs. Updated annually as a component of the Institutional Management Plan, the Facilities Master Plan addresses Northeast’s facility construction, renovation, alteration, and maintenance needs.  Funding availability may defer or hasten planned projects, but they are normally completed within the five-year period.  For example, the 2002-2006 facilities master plan included a deferred maintenance project to resurface campus parking lots in the first year of the plan, and the construction of a technical training center in the third year.  A state bond issue allowed the training center to be completed a year earlier. Funds were not readily available to resurface the parking lots as planned. However, a grant through the Alabama Department of Transportation in FY 2003 provided funding, not only for the resurfacing project, but for the construction of an additional parking lot as well. The 2003-2007 plan included a project to replace the Student Center ceiling in the first year. This project was completed as planned. The HFA boiler replacement planned for the first year was actually installed at the beginning of the second year. Thus, although scheduling may have to be adjusted, the plan serves as a guide and identifies priorities for available funding.

The Facilities Master Plan currently projects construction of a new classroom building to accommodate increases in enrollment, additional course offerings, and the recently approved Licensed Practical Nursing program. Funding sources and architectural designs are being researched.

Table 1 summarizes the items projected in the current Facilities Master Plan.

Table 1

Maintenance and Security.  Northeast has a maintenance and security staff sufficient to maintain the buildings and grounds in a healthy, attractive, and secure condition.  In addition, the college has contracted with local landscaping companies for grounds keeping services to provide assistance during peak mowing season. Chart 1 shows the organization of the Physical Plant staff, and Table 2 shows related position descriptions from the Faculty & Staff Handbook.

Chart 1

Table 2

The role of maintenance staff in maintaining a safe environment on campus is covered in Comprehensive Standard 3.10.6. 

Faculty and Staff Perceive Facilities as Adequate. The Financial and Physical Resources Compliance Certification Committee recently conducted a survey of Northeast personnel to solicit opinions concerning compliance with this standard. Fifty survey instruments were distributed to representatives of all academic and technical divisions of the campus, including full-time and adjunct faculty as well as administrative office staff and maintenance personnel. The survey asked to what extent respondents agree that Northeast operates and maintains adequate physical facilities to serve the needs of the institution’s educational programs, support services, and mission-related activities. Of the surveys distributed, 43 responses were returned. The responses, summarized in Table 3, are another indicator of Northeast’s compliance with this standard.

Table 3

Graduated Students Perceive Classroom and Laboratory Facilities to Be Adequate. The Graduated Student Survey, administered one year after graduation, solicits student perspectives on physical facilities as well as many other aspects of their experience at Northeast. The Year 2003 survey of year 2002 graduates yielded the ratings shown in Table 4. In all cases, the respondents rated the facilities as average or better. 

Table 4

Off-Campus Facilities are Adequate. Northeast owns no off-campus facilities; however, some instructional activities take place off campus. 

The college contracts with health care facilities in the area to serve as clinical sites for students in the Nursing and Emergency Medical Services programs. Dual enrollment courses are taught at the respective high schools. In both cases, the physical resources in place are adequate and appropriate. Northeast is not responsible for operating or maintaining these facilities.

A different type of instructional activity, supportive of mission Goals Seven and Nine (training for business and industry; promotion of economic development) takes place off campus at the recently established Alabama Hosiery Technology Training and Research Center in the neighboring city of Fort Payne. This project provides high-tech training for employees and potential employees in the industry. It is expected to help the local hosiery industry, which is integral to the Fort Payne economy, to maintain a competitive edge over offshore competition through technology, education, and a commitment to quality.

Supported by a $60,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission and $100,000 in state funds, the Training and Research Center is housed in the former Sola Electric building in Fort Payne, now owned by Prewett Mills. The center includes one classroom, one computer lab, a conference room, an office, and a large central room that houses knitting machines.

This facility adequately supports the activities for which it is used at the present time.

Going Beyond Adequate. NACC personnel are aware that the physical environment and appearance of a college campus can have a great impact on the student experience, thus contributing to the success of the mission. Consequently, under the NACC President’s overall direction, personnel have sought to create a campus that is inviting to students and creates an interactive atmosphere. The overall vision is for the campus to have a small-town atmosph