News
ENLARGE
What makes working at a community college so gratifying, especially one with a locally elected board, is the community at the heart of it.
It's from the community that we get our students. Our faculty and staff, as well. It's from the community that comes the energy that drives everything we do. From the community comes the people who lead our college on the Umpqua Community College Board of Trustees. More than 400 people from the trades, businesses and professions locally serve on advisory committees that keep the instruction in our career and technical programs current and relevant.
What a show of the strength and range of skills that are to be found in Douglas County.
Finally, and at long last, we are opening the Danny Lang Teaching, Learning and Event Center, where our viticulture and enology classes will be conducted. Many of you who have come to campus recently or even driven over the Winchester Bridge heading north on Interstate 5 have watched it rise on the hill above the campus.
Did you know that 87 percent of all of the construction costs spent to build the architecturally significant Lang Center went to pay workers, contractors and vendors found right here in Douglas County?
UCC is committed to the economic development of Douglas County. That, coupled with intellectual achievement and educational attainment, is our only reason for being. We know we are a cultural hub, too. The Lang Center, along with the entire faculty, staff and physical plant, plays a role there, as well.
Some 250 individuals, families, foundations and other organizations contributed more than $2.5 million to construct this beautiful and functional building. More than 200 workers, residing largely in Douglas County, from 60 contractors, subcontractors and vendors worked on making the Lang Center what it is for our students, faculty and the public.
From UCC's beginnings, more than 45 years ago, this is the way the people of Douglas County have wanted to proceed.
More recently, in an effort to get our economy going, the 2009 Oregon Legislature supplied UCC with $4 million in stimulus money and gave proportional amounts to other entities statewide. At that time, UCC made the repairs, upgrades and safety modifications the campus so badly needed with workers and contractors taken largely from Douglas County. This was true for all but one or two of the jobs we completed with that money. In the remaining cases, we endeavored to hire from within Oregon.
On May 15, Umpqua Community College will present its first bond levy request to the voters since 1998. UCC will request authorization for $40 million in bonding authority to build an Allied Health & Science Center on a site adjacent to Jacoby Auditorium, an Industrial Arts & Technology Training Center on the site behind the Tech Building in the eastern portion of the campus and a satellite campus facility near South Umpqua High School. The money from the sale of those bonds will also remodel vacated spaces in Wayne Crooch Hall, the Science Building and Lockwood Hall.
In 2009, UCC received $8.5 million in matching funds from the state for the Allied Health & Science Building which would serve the nursing and dental programs and all of the science programs. UCC is seeking an additional $8.5 million more from the 2013 Oregon Legislature for the Industrial Arts & Technology Training Center.
In an extra effort to ensure local partnerships with contractors and vendors, the college will assemble a bond oversight committee. Throughout this process, including the construction of these buildings, the workers, the people, the voters of Douglas County will continue to imbue the college with its vitality and direction.
Joe Olson has been president of Umpqua Community College since May 2011. He can be reached at 541-440-4623 or Joe.Olson@umpqua.edu.
It's from the community that we get our students. Our faculty and staff, as well. It's from the community that comes the energy that drives everything we do. From the community comes the people who lead our college on the Umpqua Community College Board of Trustees. More than 400 people from the trades, businesses and professions locally serve on advisory committees that keep the instruction in our career and technical programs current and relevant.
What a show of the strength and range of skills that are to be found in Douglas County.
Finally, and at long last, we are opening the Danny Lang Teaching, Learning and Event Center, where our viticulture and enology classes will be conducted. Many of you who have come to campus recently or even driven over the Winchester Bridge heading north on Interstate 5 have watched it rise on the hill above the campus.
Did you know that 87 percent of all of the construction costs spent to build the architecturally significant Lang Center went to pay workers, contractors and vendors found right here in Douglas County?
UCC is committed to the economic development of Douglas County. That, coupled with intellectual achievement and educational attainment, is our only reason for being. We know we are a cultural hub, too. The Lang Center, along with the entire faculty, staff and physical plant, plays a role there, as well.
Some 250 individuals, families, foundations and other organizations contributed more than $2.5 million to construct this beautiful and functional building. More than 200 workers, residing largely in Douglas County, from 60 contractors, subcontractors and vendors worked on making the Lang Center what it is for our students, faculty and the public.
From UCC's beginnings, more than 45 years ago, this is the way the people of Douglas County have wanted to proceed.
More recently, in an effort to get our economy going, the 2009 Oregon Legislature supplied UCC with $4 million in stimulus money and gave proportional amounts to other entities statewide. At that time, UCC made the repairs, upgrades and safety modifications the campus so badly needed with workers and contractors taken largely from Douglas County. This was true for all but one or two of the jobs we completed with that money. In the remaining cases, we endeavored to hire from within Oregon.
On May 15, Umpqua Community College will present its first bond levy request to the voters since 1998. UCC will request authorization for $40 million in bonding authority to build an Allied Health & Science Center on a site adjacent to Jacoby Auditorium, an Industrial Arts & Technology Training Center on the site behind the Tech Building in the eastern portion of the campus and a satellite campus facility near South Umpqua High School. The money from the sale of those bonds will also remodel vacated spaces in Wayne Crooch Hall, the Science Building and Lockwood Hall.
In 2009, UCC received $8.5 million in matching funds from the state for the Allied Health & Science Building which would serve the nursing and dental programs and all of the science programs. UCC is seeking an additional $8.5 million more from the 2013 Oregon Legislature for the Industrial Arts & Technology Training Center.
In an extra effort to ensure local partnerships with contractors and vendors, the college will assemble a bond oversight committee. Throughout this process, including the construction of these buildings, the workers, the people, the voters of Douglas County will continue to imbue the college with its vitality and direction.
Joe Olson has been president of Umpqua Community College since May 2011. He can be reached at 541-440-4623 or Joe.Olson@umpqua.edu.
