Steve Glazner is APPA’s director of knowledge management and editor of Facilities Manager. He can be reached at steve@appa.org.

     We wanted to learn more about the many community colleges that comprise APPA’s membership, so we set out to compile short profiles on as many of them as we could before this issue went to press. The profiles that follow are from 20 community colleges across North America, including two from Canada. All are intensely dedicated to their missions of career development, four-year- college preparation, and true community service.

     In the profiles that follow, the Campus GSF refers to the gross square footage of the college’s buildings. The student count is a general headcount, not full-time equivalent. Most are commuter campuses with no residence halls, but a number of the colleges do have students living on campus.

     Many thanks to everyone who contributed to these profiles. It is obvious that our community colleges are strong, viable organizations dedicated to their students and the communities in which they reside.

Algonquin College
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Mike Rushton, director of facilities (13 years at the college)
Most Popular Courses: Dental hygiene, paramedic, massage therapy, firefighter preservice
Campus GSF: Woodroffe Campus = 1,389,019
#Students: Approx, 12,000 full-time; plus approx. 12,000 students per semester in continuing education
#Students Living on Campus: 700
Total Facilities Staff: 63 full-time
Contracted Services: Security guards, cleaning services
Biggest Challenge: Adding square footage without proportionately increasing budget, increased client expectations, insufficient deferred maintenance dollars
Recent Success: Consolidation onto one campus
What Others Should Know: Algonquin is ranked as #1 in Ontario for student satisfaction; 95 percent of students are employed within six months of graduating.•


Allegany College of Maryland
Cumberland, Maryland
Donald L. Hedrick, director of physical plant (24 years)
Most Popular Courses: dental assistance, nursing
Campus GSF: 350,000
#Students: 3,241
#Students Living On Campus: 230
Total Facilities Staff: 35
Contracted Services: Window cleaning, fire/safety
inspections
Biggest Challenge: Proper staffing with regard to enough money to hire additional help
Recent Success: Construction of five student housing units
What Others Should Know: Allegany College is the only community college in the state of Maryland with student housing. We are also unique in that we have two campuses located in the state of Pennsylvania that are Pennsylvania-state supported.•


Anne Arundel Community College 
Arnold, Maryland
H. Michael Wilson, director of facilities management (5 years)
Most Popular Courses: General studies, business administration/management, education
Campus GSF: 600,000 
#Students: 19,154; non-credit = 38,015
#Students Living on Campus: 0
Total Facilities Staff: 76
Contracted Services: HVAC, elevator, alarm maintenance
Biggest Challenge: Maintaining our standards of customer service and responsiveness in an austere environment
Recent Success: Conquering Maryland's record snow of 2003, and finding national and state resources for expense reimbursement
What Others Should Know: Anne Arundel Community College was the National Alliance of Business “Community College of the Year” award winner for 2002.•


Coastal Bend College
Beeville, Texas
Charles McCameron, director of administrative services (28 years)
Most Popular Courses: Protective services (criminal justice), computer science
Campus GSF: Approx. 500,000
#Students: 3,600
#Students Living on Campus: Approx. 150
Total Facilities Staff: 32 full-time, 8 part-time
Contracted Services: Pest control
Biggest Challenge: Maintaining a high level of quality in all services with fewer personnel
Recent Success: Three years ago our campus looked much like an untamed part of the southwest desert, but we set about with a determination to beautify. Our campus now is like an oasis, with much greenery and outdoor seating areas with tables where our students congregate on a regular basis.
What Others Should Know: We care. We care about our students comfort, about beautifying our surroundings, about keeping our buildings and grounds in the best possible condition, and most of all we care about our students succeeding while at Coastal Bend College and beyond.•


College of DuPage
Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Joseph Buri, director of campus services (13 years)
Most Popular Courses: Culinary arts, dental hygiene
Campus GSF: 1,350,759
#Students: 36,150
#Students Living on Campus: 0
Total Facilities Staff: 114
Contracted Services: Elevators, fire safety, building automation, architectural and engineering services
Biggest Challenge: Implementation of $300 million facility master plan and providing immediate feedback to customers
Recent Success: Passed building bond referendum in late 2002.•

   
College of the Canyons
Santa Clarita, California
Jim Schrage, director of facilities (6 years)
Most Popular Courses: General education courses, fire science, nursing
Campus GSF: 450,000
#Students: 13,500
#Students Living on Campus: 0
Total Facilities Staff: 50
Contracted Services: None
Biggest Challenge: The time to adequately address both personnel management and facilities planning needs
Recent Success: Having one of the lowest facilities condition indexes (FCI) in the state. What Others Should Know: Our staff takes pride in their work and their accomplishments, and it shows. During a recent accreditation process, consisting of high-ranking community college leaders from around the state, the comments regarding our facilities—even from members evaluating other portions of the campus processes and procedures—were many and overwhelmingly positive.•


Eastern Wyoming College
Torrington, Wyoming
Edward Kroenlein, director of physical plant (34 years)
Most Popular Courses: Veterinary technology, welding and joining technology, elementary education, pre-nursing
Campus GSF: 253,216
#Students: 1,574
#Students Living on Campus: Approx. 150
Total Facilities Staff: 11 full-time; 4–15 part-time
Contracted Services: None
Biggest Challenge: Bringing technology into the daily operation of our department. Also, last year’s drought and an aging lawn irrigation system has made it difficult to keep the campus green.
Recent Success: The acquisition and development of EWC’s North Campus, which is located on eight acres and features a holding facility for large animals and an animal treatment building used to demonstrate veterinary technology procedures on live animals.
What Others Should Know: Eastern Wyoming College is a great for students to become educated and also a great place to work. The family atmosphere is very much a part of our heritage.•


Eastfield College of the Dallas County
Community College District
Mesquite, Texas
Arthur E. Sykes, director, facilities services (6.5 years)
Most Popular Courses: Business information systems, mathematics, biology, auto tech (Toyota T-Ten Facility)
Campus GSF: 500,000
#Students: 10,963
#Students Living on Campus: 0
Total Facilities Staff: 30 full-time, 5 part-time, 6 seasonal
Contracted Services: Custodial
Biggest Challenge: To maintain training and certification of staff, and to continue to provide the same high quality of services during lean budget years. Expectation of the same degree of service is expected by the campus community.
Recent Success: For the first time in the 33-year history of the college, we received the best grounds/green space award from the city of Mesquite.
What Others Should Know: Eastfield College prepares the student to be successful at the next level of life and/or education. Our students continually make outstanding achievements in the workplace and academic institutions.•


Elgin Community College
Elgin, Illinois
Paul A. Dawson, managing director of facilities (9 years)
Most Popular Courses: Arts and sciences, lower-level English as a Second Language, nursing
Campus GSF: 730,435
#Students: 18,322
#Students Living on Campus: 0
Total Facilities Staff: 102
Contracted Services: None
Biggest Challenge: Equipment and furniture for new facilities through other sources than referendum bonds
Recent Success: Elgin Community College was cited as a “power booster” in a new book, Power Boosters: Illinois Efficiency Success Stories, compiled and published by the Safe Energy Communication Council. The book describes how the college enjoyed a $440,000 reduction in operating costs during 12-month period due to the installation of a combined CPH plant, which produced an annual energy savings of 25,000 MMBtu.
What Others Should Know: Founded in 1949, ECC is one of the oldest community colleges in Illinois and the ninth largest in gross square feet. Two building referenda have been successfully passed, in 1967 and 2001. The 2001 issue not only addresses immediate space needs at the main campus but ensures future growth of the campus with the addition of 45 acres contiguous to the present campus. Twenty-two projects were covered by the 2001 referenda, 16 of which will be completed by 2005.•


Foothill DeAnza Community College District
Los Altos Hill, California
John Schulze, executive director for facilities, operations, and construction management (17 years)
Most Popular Courses: Business, computer science/math, social science
Campus GSF: 1.7 million
#Students: 45,000
#Students Living on Campus: 0
Total Facilities Staff: 100
Contracted Services: Minor service contracts such as elevators only
Biggest Challenge: We are in the midst of a $300 million building campaign funded by a bond measure. Overseeing this activity is our major challenge, followed closely by concerns about increasing staffing to maintain and clean the new buildings.
Recent Success: Significant reduction in the use of electricity and gas due to implementation of energy
conservation measures.
What Others Should Know: We provide an extensive amount of service to our students for a minimum of costs.•


Grand Rapids Community College
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Tom Smith, director of facilities (5.5 years)
Most Popular Courses: Transfer programs: business, teacher education, engineering; and occupational programs: nursing, criminal justice, culinary arts
Campus GSF: 2.2 million
#Students: 13,900
#Students Living on Campus: 0
Total Facilities Staff: 90
Contracted Services: Window cleaning, snow removal, elevator maintenance
Biggest Challenge: Maintaining the infrastructure for 22 facilities to meet today's ever-changing
technological requirements
Recent Success: The completion of our second Michigan Technical Education Center (90,000 sq.ft.)
What Others Should Know: In addition to meeting the needs of 13,900 students, Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) services approximately 23,000 additional customers each year through seminars, conferences,
workshops, and special events.•


Humber College
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Carol Anderson, director, facilities management (4 years)
Most Popular Courses: Nursing, industrial design, paralegal, e-commerce Campus GSF: 1.6 million
#Students: 16,148
#Students Living on Campus: 700 (soon to be 1,300)
Total Facilities Staff: 39
Contracted Services: Cleaning, lighting, some mechanical maintenance, some electrical maintenance, some pluming, all renovations, refuse removal, snow removal
Biggest Challenge: Space planning to accommodate additional growth without new buildings
Recent Success: Negotiating a good contract with 15 other colleges for hydro purchase in a deregulated market
What Others Should Know: We are the second largest college in the Ontario College System and the top-rated college in the Greater Toronto Area.•


Hutchinson Community College
Hutchinson, Kansas
Gene Allton, director of plant facilities (17 years)
Most Popular Courses: Health-related (nursing, LPN, health information technology), business administration, public service (fire science & criminal justice)
Campus GSF: 590,131
#Students: 4,950
#Students Living on Campus: 350
Total Facilities Staff: 53
Contracted Services: Night time security
Biggest Challenge: Spreading budget dollars and staff talent against deferred maintenance and new facilities being developed and brought online
Recent Success: Two major facility upgrades on our main campus: Shears Technology Center and the Rimmer Learning Resource Center
What Others Should Know: Hutchinson Community College is host of the NJCAA Basketball Tournament held each year in March. HCC won the National Championship in 1988 and 1994.•


Illinois Valley Community College
Oglesby, Illinois
Larry Rousey, director of facilities (5 years)
Most Popular Courses: Nursing, general business
Campus GSF: 375,000
#Students: 4,200
#Students Living on Campus: 0
Total Facilities Staff: 600
Contracted Services: None
Biggest Challenge: Keeping up with the demands and needs of faculty and staff for facilities improvements.
Trying to find the funding to perform my job effectively.
Recent Success: The completion of a three-building, 150,000-sq.-ft. asbestos abatement and renovation project; and the successful implementation of a team cleaning program.
What Others Should Know: We are the third oldest community college district (of 39) in the state of Illinois. Established in 1924.•


Kansas City Kansas Community College
Kansas City, Kansas
Larry Seal, director of buildings & grounds (16+ years)
Most Popular Courses: Nursing, mortuary science
Campus GSF: 470,000+
#Students: 5,000+
#Students Living on Campus: 0
Total Facilities Staff: 47
Contracted Services: Pest control, chiller maintenance
Biggest Challenge: Expanding the energy management program
Recent Success: Energy management program
What Others Should Know: Nice landscaping, clean and well maintained.•


Middlesex County College
Edison, New Jersey
Donald R. Drost Jr., executive director of facilities management (15 years)
Most Popular Courses: Liberal arts, business administration, computer science, criminal justice
Campus GSF: 782,000
#Students: 11,700
#Students Living on Campus: 0
Total Facilities Staff: 81
Contracted Services: Maintenance contracts are in place for specialized services such as chillers, high voltage electric, underground utilities, exterminating, tree care, fire alarms, fire sprinklers, etc.
Biggest Challenge: Continually attempting to improve services while reducing costs through energy reductions, productivity improvements, and use of new technologies. This is achieved with the full support of the Board of Trustees and the entire college community.
Recent Success: The presidents of all 56 colleges in New Jersey signed a Sustainability Greenhouse Gas Action Plan that called for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 3.5 percent from the 1990 levels by the year 2005. Middlesex County College reported a 14.9 percent reduction by the year 2000. This was achieved through reductions in electrical usage and conversions from fuel oil to natural gas for heat. Electrical usage actually was reduced by more than 600,000 kWh during that period even though the campus grew by almost 60,000 square feet.
What Others Should Know: Middlesex County College is an open access institution dedicated to student success. We accept any and all members of our community, and through various programs and high academic standards, we graduate highly successful students.•


Morgan Community College
Fort Morgan, Colorado
Susan Clough, vice president for administration & finance (16 years)
Most Popular Courses: General education transfer, agri-business management
Campus GSF: 108,936
#Students: 3,121
#Students Living on Campus: 0
Total Facilities Staff: 7
Contracted Services: None
Biggest Challenge: Meeting the physical plant needs of students in a multi-campus setting with reduced staff and financial resources.
Recent Success: Completion of a $4.5 million construction project that included the construction of a new building to house automotive programs and physical plant space and renovation of vacated space into science labs and multi-use classrooms.
What Others Should Know: MCC provides courses in an 11,500-square-mile service area that includes the main campus and five off-campus centers plus interactive distance learning systems, television, and other non-traditional means.•


North Idaho College
Coeur d' Alene, Idaho
Homer D. Bartnett, director of physical plant (2 years)
Most Popular Courses: General studies, nursing/pre-nursing, education
Campus GSF: 585,335
#Students: 4,222
#of Students Living on Campus: 202
Total Facilities Staff: 16
Contracted Services: None
Biggest Challenge: Keeping up with the advances of technology in buildings system; and stretching our training dollars.
What Others Should Know: We are known as the “College by the Lake.”•


Pima County Community College District
Tucson, Arizona
Paul F. Smith, assistant vice chancellor, administrative services and facilities (12 years)
Most Popular Courses: Dental hygiene, electronic technology, building technology
Campus GSF: 1,308,000
#Students: 84,590
#Students Living on Campus: 0
Total Facilities Staff: 103
Contracted Services: Custodial (partially), tree care, grounds (partially), architect/engineering services
Biggest Challenge: Moving the workforce toward a multi-skilled environment and maintaining morale as the cost of benefits go up and pay remains stagnant.
Recent Success: Recently completed over $140 million in construction within budget with no major claims outstanding.
What Others Should Know: Multi-campus institution with nine major educational locations in the greater Tucson area, PCC has significantly increased its student population while the major renovation and construction program was ongoing.•


Salt Lake Community College 
Salt Lake City, Utah
Bob Askerlund, director of facilities (13 years)
Most Popular Courses: Health sciences, general education, business
Campus GSF: 2.1 million
#Students: Approx. 24,000
#Students Living on Campus: 0
Total Facilities Staff: 120 with seasonal fluctuations
Contracted Services: Some custodial and some grounds
Biggest Challenge: Doing more with less. Providing the necessary services to students for them to continue to achieve their educational goals.
Recent Success: Completion of our first buildings and occupancy of our new Jordan Campus.
What Others Should Know: We're the second largest public institution in the state of Utah, directly behind the University of Utah.•