WNCC 2010 Self-Study Report - Western Nebraska Community ...

An expansion of HATC in 2008 included a high and low-bay area for industry training, the Valley
Alternative Transitioning School (VALTS), Educational Service Unit 13 (which serves and supports
K-12 institutions), the Health Occupations Division, and the Criminal Justice program.
In 2000, the WNCC gymnasium was renovated to ensure that the facility met safety and ADA
standards. The gymnasium is used extensively by the College and external organizations, hosting
a wide variety of events like basketball and volleyball games, tournaments, high schools sporting
activities, graduations, musical concerts and the district music contest, and senior citizen activities.
Planning for necessary changes in instructional technology and preferred learning strategies,
WNCC has renovated and updated several classrooms for technology, including ITV classrooms at
each campus location to reach the greatest number of students. In response to concerns cited by
a laboratory safety consultant (RR 40), a chemical storage room, adjacent to the main building on
the Scottsbluff campus, was completed in 2008. This eliminated storage of potentially hazardous
materials in proximity to classrooms and labs and solved the potential problem of chemical storage
in an area serviced by an aging ventilation system.
Consistent with the long-term goal to expand the international and Front Range student market, the
athletic programs have increased with the addition of softball in 2000, baseball in 2001 and men’s
and women’s soccer in 2002. To accommodate additional staff, WNCC renovated the athletic
department offices and locker rooms in 2004.
Current major projects include the complete remodeling of the main building’s front entrance on the
Scottsbluff campus. These changes will allow improved access, provide additional handicap
parking spots, address water drainage problems, and improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety.
The Dean of Administrative Services heads the Facilities Committee, which develops a prioritized
list of projects and needs for the institution. Proposals from various areas are encouraged and
then discussed, after which those approved are placed in a timeline for development. When
possible, alternative funding sources are explored, or the Dean finds ways to place the projects into
future budgets, specifying budget lines to be used (RR 41).
Technology Planning
WNCC continues to expand its technological capabilities in preparation for the future. Technology
planning is overseen by WNCC’s Executive Director of Information Technology (IT), who led the
formulation of the Information Technology Strategic Plan (RR 42) that guides decision making as
the institution continues to evolve in the age of technology.
Below is a summary of items illustrating WNCC’s ongoing commitment to equip faculty and staff
members with the necessary electronic tools:
1. WNCC replaces each of its nearly 900 computers approximately every 4 years to keep
equipment up-to-date. An annual spring software poll outlines necessary site license
agreements which promote efficient software use. The IT department operates with a
contingency fund for non-budgeted software and/or emergencies.
Western Nebraska Community College Page 69