Students’ wants in Vision ‘15

By Joshua Knopp/managing editor

An outside contractor has finished surveying students and faculty on what the college can do with its buildings and grounds to help students achieve success.

According to Vanessa Sharp, strategy associate for architectural design firm Boka Powell that TCC hired to help this process, student input was central to the project.

“You guys [students] are the center of this institution,” Sharp said. “If we can get that straight from you all, that’s how we find out what needs to happen.”

Sharp’s group got more than 1,000 responses, some online and others on campus. The survey comprised three questions asking about a student’s ideal location and situation for learning, the stressors of college and factors that have impacted learning experiences. Tom Dwyer, part of Boka Powell’s principal leadership group, said he was happy with the turnout.

“We were really pleased with the quantity of response from both faculty and students and by the quality,” Dwyer said. “They not only took the time, but it wasn’t a two-sentence answer. There were a lot of them that had paragraphs.”

Some of the most common ideas students had for their vision of TCC by 2015 were transportation between campuses, some form of laptop provision, more sports teams and four-year degree options and dorms. Some of the campus-specific themes were

more lights on NE for evening students, covered walkways on NE and NW, technology updates on NE and NW, easier entries and exits from the SE parking lot and more elevators in the TREF building.

Students and faculty may still give input online and enter to win an iPad 2 at www.tccd.edu/share_your_vision.

Dwyer said while they’re still tabulating responses and haven’t determined a specific course of action yet, “sticking points” on campus, where students hang around and where most of the learning typically takes place, were central to the plan. Dwyer talked about the chessboard on NE Campus and his experience watching students play and teach chess as an example.

“I went over there and sat down for 30 minutes, and it was fascinating,” he said. “Watching the learning environment was stimulating.”

Using social media to teach will probably be a big part of their plan. TCC’s public relations and marketing director Frank Griffis was particularly excited by the prospect of teaching with social media.

“What I see many colleges doing is shallow,” Griffis said. “It’s the same old thing. Get butts in seats.”

Dwyer said he found the work significant because of TCC’s significance to the Tarrant County community and growing significance to other colleges.

“This college is going to be here for a long time,” Dwyer said. “The demographics of this community will drive this college’s productivity. I think TCC is a reason behind the success of this community.”