MCC studies future space needs

McHenry County College is conducting a space study to look at how it can get more use out of its existing facilities and future space needs.

Officials hired Demonica Kemper Architects and Paulien & Associates Inc. to conduct the study for $131,200. Phase one was completed and presented to the college board last month. Consultants analyzed student enrollment, staffing and building utilization in fall 2014.

MCC's enrollment has increased 11 percent in six years. In fall 2014, the college had 6,758 students and 3,969 full-time employees on campus, while 439 students take courses entirely online served by 246 full-time online employees. The study determined the college has 264,369 square feet of usable space within its nine campus buildings. At present, 43 classrooms and 46 teaching laboratories are being underutilized, and the college doesn't have enough student, athletic and physical education and open lab spaces, per the study.

"This study was not driven by enrollment projections. Rather, national space utilization guidelines were used and applied to the college's existing and future mix of programs and services," said Christina Haggerty, college spokeswoman.

Based on this data, Phase 2 of the study will focus on determining where the college has the greatest need for expansion and possible solutions. It is expected to be completed in the fall and a full report will likely be presented at the October board meeting.

Officials are considering expanding course offerings in the following areas: health information technology, industrial maintenance and physical therapy assistant, all of which have been approved; and potential new programs, including urban agriculture/horticulture, pre-engineering, wellness coaching, construction trades/welding and patient care technology.

Some programs have special teaching lab requirements or other special space needs that were taken into consideration in the space needs analysis.

"(Expansion) would likely be in lab space with a most urgent need in health sciences area," Haggerty said. "There may be other possible areas, as well."

MCC began offering classes in April 1967 in a rented oil company laboratory with an enrollment of 312 full-time and 1,045 part-time students. In 1971, voters approved the 68-acre Weber farm, where the college currently is situated in Crystal Lake, as its permanent home.

The college grew into a campus by 1991 and today serves about 16,500 students yearly. A conference center, offices, dining facilities, Children's Learning Center and bookstore were added. The last major construction project was completed in 1997 with the addition of a 44,000-square-foot Center for Advanced Technology, which includes labs for electronics, drafting, computer-aided design, fire science, basic nurse assisting, criminal justice and other technologies.

MCC's district covers roughly 600 square miles primarily serving McHenry County and including portions of Kane and Lake counties in Huntley and Cary.