News

Staff work to create more student spaces

As a former MCCC student, Josh Myers said he had very few options for hanging out in between classes on campus.

Now, as the executive director of The Foundation at MCCC,  Myers seeks funding from donors to create an outside pavilion for our students.

“You go to Panera Bread and see all kinds of MCCC students with their books out studying,” Myers said. “We don’t want students to have to go off campus to meet that need. We want to provide them with comfortable spaces that they feel welcomed.”

MCCC has created some spaces to accommodate students, but Myers said he wishes to provide more spaces with more seating for students to collaborate and congregate.

Myers said he does not want students to have to commute back and forth if they do not want to. He wants them to have a space that is theirs to build friendships and receive support from their peers.

“We continue to be sensitive to their needs and we welcome their input,” Myers said. He encourages student involvement and feels that student opinions matter and are welcomed.

Engineering and architectural plans have not been developed yet, but Myers said the project could move quickly once funding is in place.

Once a donor for the project is confirmed, the project can move forward with blueprints. Then the exact cost and location can be determined. Until then, the pavilion is one of the ideas in Myers’s portfolio.

Jack Burns, director of Campus Planning and Facilities pulls up C Building blueprints on his computer. (Photo by Michael Moser).

Jack Burns, director of Campus Planning and Facilities, originally hoped to have this project completed with the renovations of the Campbell building.

Burns said, “Hopefully in the near future, we will be able to accomplish our vision of an outdoor commons space for staff and students.”