Thanks for support of the college bond

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, students, faculty, and staff

of the Coast Community College District, I want to thank the

community for its support of our recently approved bond measure,

Measure C. I speak for all of my colleagues when I say that I was

both overwhelmed and humbled by the level of community support for

our three colleges -- Coastline, Golden West and Orange Coast -- on

Election Day.

The influx of $370 million into our colleges’ infrastructure

during the next 15 years will have a significant impact on our

ability to provide quality higher education to the students of Orange

County. It means we can bring state-of-the-art learning technologies

to our colleges. It enhances our ability to provide students with the

cutting-edge skills and competencies our local business community is

seeking in our graduates. At the same time, upgrades like better

parking lot lighting and seismic retrofitting will ensure that our

colleges remain safe places to learn.

Voters will soon see the initial impact of Measure C. At Orange

Coast College, we will proceed immediately with plans to build a new

library/learning resource center to replace the old one, which was

deemed unsafe due to seismic concerns. At Golden West College, we

will implement our plans for a new student center; and, at Coastline

Community College, our first priority will be a new educational

center in the city of Westminster.

Many other projects will be completed during the next several

years. Those projects include safety improvements, new science

classrooms, expanded nurse training facilities, criminal justice

training facilities, technology upgrades, energy efficiency

improvements and other infrastructure improvements. Projects will be

completed in phases to ensure the least disruption to students and to

ongoing classroom instruction.

Thanks to you, the Coast Community College District finds itself

in an exciting and enviable position. We remain committed to

providing you with current information regarding Measure C-funded

projects as we move toward their development and completion. We will

begin immediately to create a Citizen’s Advisory Committee. This

committee will include representation from taxpayer groups, business

and industry, senior citizens’ organizations, and students. The

committee will have as its charge the oversight of all bond revenue

expenditures.

The mission of the Coast Community College District is to provide

quality lower-division and occupational instruction to ensure that

students of all ages and from all socio-economic backgrounds have the

opportunity to achieve their educational goals. For more than half a

century, the faculty and staff of our colleges have fulfilled that

mission with outstanding results and national recognition. Thanks to

your support, we will continue to provide an excellent learning

experience for our students.

* WILLIAM M. VEGA is the Coast Community College District

chancellor.