Mt. Vernon Register-News

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November 24, 2012

RLC board updates new construction plan

By RORYE O’CONNOR CNHI

MT. VERNON — The Rend Lake College Board of Trustees recently approved a recommendation to update the college’s Fiscal Year 2014 Resource Allocation Management Plan.

Under new Illinois Community College Board guidelines, each of the three projects requires the signatures of the chairman of the board and college president, information provided by the college states.

The RAMP document has been prepared upon information from appropriate administrative staff, information states; the document must be submitted annually to the ICCB.

The Rend Lake College Resource Allocation Management Plan details the scope of work, justification and budget for three projects: First, a new Allied Health building at a cost of about $6.09 million; second, a Learning Commons addition at a cost of about $1.34 million; and third on the list of priorities is a new physical plant department building at a cost of about $2.03 million.

Priority one is the construction of a new allied health building, to increase the lab space for nursing and associate degree nursing students, information states.

“The lab was originally planned to serve as a learning space for students in the Practical Nursing Program, when the program was moved to the Ina campus in 1973,” the RAMP states. “At the time the nursing lab was designed, approximately 45 nursing students were enrolled in the practical nursing program. Since that time, the program has expanded to 70 students and the Associate Degree Nursing program numbers 60 student slots. The nursing assistant courses are offered about every 10 weeks throughout the calendar year. Emergency Medical Technician courses, having up to 20 students in each course, utilize the lab in the spring and fall semesters. Over the years, health care practices and student needs have changed and the lab space needs to change also to better meet learning needs.”

Arranging the space of the lab more efficiently would help , information states; in addition, three of four nursing classrooms do not meet ADA access requirements.

The RAMP lists the desired project start date as May 2013, with an estimated occupancy date of August 2014.

The second priority listed in the document is the learning commons addition. This structure will connect the Ina campus’s Learning Resource Center to the new art addition and the theater, information states.

“This structure can be the first step in transforming the Learning Resource Center from a ‘traditional’ academic library with ‘information commons’ upgrades into a ‘learning commons,’” information states.

The goal of the project is to update the center to accommodate the learning styles of those born between the late 1970s and the early 1990s, with collaborate learning, social interaction between students and student engagement with faculty.

In addition, the new structure will also be designed to serve as a reception area for theater events, information states.

The desired start date of the project is listed as May 2013, with an estimated occupancy date of March 2014.

The third priority in the RAMP, a new physical plant building, is based on the lack of space needed for maintenance, grounds and custodial equipment and supplies.

“What has multiplied the issue is that all other departments on the Rend Lake College campus utilize the Physical Plant Department building for storage of important documents and/or files,” information states.

The current building could be used for agriculture, automotive or truck center lab areas, the RAMP adds.

The desired start date for the project is July 2013, with an estimated occupancy date of August 2014.

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TESA GLASS/REGISTER-NEWS
Mt. Vernon Police blocked a portion of North Ninth Street Wednesday morning about 11 a.m. after reports the brick facade of the apartment building at the corner of Ninth and Maple streets was falling to the ground. The bricks took out cable lines, awnings and were landing on the street.