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Master Facilities Plan 2004 - 2024 Commission, Administration, & Committee Information Education (PDF document) Learning Environment (PDF document) |
BackgroundPurpose The purpose of the Midlands Technical College (MTC) Master Facilities Plan is to guide the future development of facilities and ensure the appropriate connection between the educational objectives and facility needs of the college. The Plan is used when making major facility decisions including renovations, facility eliminations and replacements, new construction and infrastructure needs. It allows the college to prioritize its decisions as resources become available. The Plan lays out general guidelines and the direction for each campus including the potential to add future space, the type of space to be created or renovated and general building standards. The Plan complements the college's annual, five-year and ten-year facilities plans and is integrated into the college's institutional planning process.
The College Midlands Technical College , founded in 1963, is one of 16 colleges included in the South Carolina Technical College System (the System). The System is governed by the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education, an agency of the State of South Carolina . The college is a comprehensive, public two-year institution that serves the Central Midlands region of South Carolina . The mission: Midlands Technical College is a comprehensive, multi-campus, public, two-year college serving the primary region of Richland , Lexington and Fairfield counties of South Carolina . College programs and services provide accessible, affordable, high quality post-secondary education that prepares a diverse student population to enter the job market, transfer to senior colleges and universities, and achieve their professional and personal goals. Through its programs and services, the college equitably provides higher education opportunities and strengthens the economic and social vitality of the community. Midlands Technical College has four campuses, two in Lexington County and two in Richland County with 31 buildings containing 781,257 square feet on 266 acres. Midlands Technical College has a teaching location at Fort Jackson that serves military personnel and civilians. In addition, the college delivers instruction in various businesses, industries and public schools located in Richland , Lexington and Fairfield counties and provides opportunities for students to take classes on the web that lead to a degree. The college's credit enrollment is approximately 11,000 students in more than 90 programs that lead to certificates, diplomas and associate degrees. Additionally, the college enrolls approximately 30,000 students annually in its noncredit programs and has a budget of approximately $78 million . Master Facilities Planning Process In 2002, the college's Executive Council and the MTC Commission reviewed the existing Master Facilities Plan and concluded the need for a comprehensive review of the college's facilities in relation to its mission. The necessity for a new plan was accelerated by both the addition of the college's fourth campus in Northeast Columbia and recognition that the facilities on the college's oldest campus, Beltline, are at a point where critical decisions are needed regarding their future usefulness. A Master Facilities Plan Committee, comprised of a cross-section of college associates including representatives from the Faculty and Staff Councils, was organized. The Committee met monthly to ensure continuity and direction. Early in the process, the Committee gave significant consideration to whether the Plan should be an internal project or if an external consultant would better serve the college’s needs. The group determined an in-house process would capture the college’s culture and provide a more specialized report. Further, the use of additional college associates as resource experts enhanced and broadened the knowledge base. The Committee made periodic progress reports to the Executive Council and the Facilities and Operations Committee of the CommissionThe Master Facilities Plan Committee formed two subcommittees, Education and Learning Environment. Each subcommittee added additional college associates as needed and worked closely with the Master Facilities Plan Committee. These subcommittees were tasked with information gathering pertaining to facilities, educational goals and trends. The subcommittees prepared draft reports outlining their respective assessments, suggestions, trends and considerations. Committee representatives shared findings with the college community in various forums to provide information, solicit input, broaden the Plan's perspective and gain support. Strategic Outlook During the most recent strategic planning process, the college conducted an environmental scan to identify future trends in higher education. This process was comprehensive and involved soliciting input from a large number of faculty and staff, Commission members, and business, community and higher education leaders. The process yielded a thorough review of higher education futuring literature. As a result, the college created the Learning Community of the Future 2013 document that presents a long-term forecast for the MTC environment. The document identifies the following major areas that will command the attention and resources of the college: Effective Learning Culture, Community Leadership, Innovative Resource Development, and Meeting Challenges of Economic and Populations Trends. The information from this research is used as the foundation of the Master Facilities Plan. A master facilities plan strategic planning process was developed that diagrams the relationship between the user needs, resource allocation, and the construction, commissioning and occupancy process. The diagram on the previous page describes the relationship and the components involved for each phase. This process provides for the continuous development of the learning environment. The user needs are derived from the college's overall strategic planning process.
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