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New master plan to map EGCC’s future
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Eastern Gateway Community College, one of the country’s fastest-growing colleges, plans to map out its future through the decade.
At a meeting Wednesday of the college’s trustees, John O’Brien, director of special projects, said the college is seeking requests for qualifications for a consultant to assist in development of a comprehensive master plan.
The plan will encompass an educational, staffing and facilities framework for the college, he said. The proposals, advertised on the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission website, are due Friday.
“We emphasized that we want planning firms to respond,” O’Brien said.
The educational plan will develop strategies for academic programs and delivery.
The staffing plan will develop strategies for staffing growth and support for the college’s current needs, as well as those in the educational plan.
And the facilities plan’s strategies will address the physical or structural requirements to meet the goals of both the educational and staffing plans.
Included in the educational plan is assistance with geographic and program expansion planning.
The consultant chosen for the project also will assist the college in completing revisions to its strategic plan. That document, which spans 2010 through 2015, is being updated.
Earlier this year, the American Association of Community Colleges found that Eastern Gateway is one of the nation’s fastest-growing colleges. With a 20 percent increase in enrollment for spring 2014, Eastern Gateway achieved the highest semester-enrollment in college history. The increase ranked the college as 16th on AACC’s list of fastest-growing colleges in the 2,500- to 4,999-student count category.
The student head-count reached 3,087, up from 2,573 in spring 2013.
EGCC, with its main campus in Steubenville, also operates the Valley Center in downtown Youngstown with plans to open the Warren Center in downtown Warren soon.
Another Warren facility has been in operation for the past few years, and courses also are available at the career and technical centers in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.
Wednesday’s meeting was a little late getting started because six members are required for a quorum. Initially, four members were in attendance. There are 11 trustee seats, but two have been vacant for several months. Two more members’ terms expired recently, creating two more vacancies.
College and university trustees are appointed by the governor’s office.