By Staff
DOWAGIAC – SMC President Dr. David Mathews reported at the college's board of trustees meeting on Tuesday that the college will build on-campus student housing.
The move is expected to increase revenue for the college.
At its December 2006 meeting, Mathews recommended to the Board of Trustees that SMC explore the feasibility of on-campus, college-owned student housing.
Preliminary estimates by the college administration at that time indicated that such a facility for students would increase enrollment and increase revenue to the college.
Since the defeat of three local millage proposals by the college and the reality that the state's budget crisis will not likely be solved in the foreseeable future, President Mathews believed that this initiative could help replace some of the lost state revenue which has exceeded $1 million in the past four years.
At that time, SMC Board of Trustees Chairman Dr. Fred Mathews, speaking for the board, said, "We want to explore the possibility of this project to see if it can be entirely funded on its own without the use of any tax dollars. That is critical!"
Since then, the SMC administration has spent countless hours studying the feasibility of the project.
Current students were surveyed.
Prospective students from high schools from which SMC draws students were surveyed as well.
This was all done to determine if the Board of Trustees' parameter of the project is feasible within the parameters set by the Board of Trustees.
"Student and prospective student surveys indicate that occupancy estimates are significantly more than 100-percent covered," continued President Mathews. "Surveys also indicate that as many as 80 percent of the residential students would be new students who would not attend without on-campus housing.
"Our estimates are that new students who will come to SMC because of the on-campus housing will result in an additional $150,000 to $200,000 per year of additional revenue beyond that which is required to build, maintain and operate the facility."
Housing will be constructed to provide students a maximum college experience as well as maximum privacy and security.
Rooms will be designed as suites for four students. Each student will have a private bedroom within the suite. Each suite will have a small kitchen and living area. Chairman Mathews said, "Based on the great research done by the college administration,it is very possible that in the future this project may be duplicated one, two or even three times. The numbers seem to indicate this.
"However, it is prudent to under build and get real operational financial data before making that next decision.
"The enhanced full college experience that residential life will bring to Southwestern Michigan College, combined with the college's proven academic success record, will provide an even better experience for SMC students."