Program Needs Analysis and Space Utilization Assessment ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS, P.C. 24 May 2013 Program Needs Analysis and Space Utilization Assessment 24 May 2013 Erie County 95 Franklin Street – 16th Floor, Buffalo, New York 14202 Richard Tobe, Deputy County Executive Erie Community College Jack Quinn, President City Campus 121 Ellicott Street, Buffalo, New York 14203 North Campus 6205 Main Street, Williamsville, New York 14221 South Campus 4041 Southwestern Boulevard, Orchard Park, New York 14127 Steering Committee Thomas Dearing, Deputy Commissioner, Erie County Economic Development and Planning William D. Reuter, Chief Administrative and Financial Officer, Erie Community College Dr. Edward Holmes, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Erie Community College Jeffrey Zack, Senior Construction Project Manager, Erie County Department of Public Works Susan Woods, Managing Partner, Henderson Woods, LLC Prepared by: JMZ Architects and Planners, P.C. 190 Glen Street - P.O. Box 725 Glens Falls, New York 12801 (518) 793-0786 www.JMZarchitects.com Tenée R. Casaccio, AIA, Principal-in-Charge Jean Stark, AIA, LEED AP, Project Planner Patricia Pietropaolo, Academic Planner Sarah B. Mojzer, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Assistant Planner Executive Summary 1 Overview Erie Community College (ECC) has been serving the residents of Erie County since the College was first established as the New York State Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences at Buffalo in 1946. Almost seven decades later, ECC’s diverse program offerings have helped transform the lives of countless students, helping them achieve their educational and career goals, setting them on paths to success. Given the economic challenges that face New York State and Erie County, the College has never been more important to the health and vitality of the region than it is now. A paradigm shift has occurred in the way people view two-year colleges. An important component in our government’s recovery and growth plan, community colleges are recognized as our best hope to educate and train millions of Americans so they are qualified for the technology-based jobs of the future. Because two-year institutions are expected to do so much with so little, it is vitally important that these colleges utilize their space efficiently, offer academic programs that meet the needs of their business communities, and offer an affordable, accessible, high quality education to all the residents of their regions. In 2011, ECC, Erie County, and SUNY agreed on a $30,000,000 capital budget to construct a new academic building on the North Campus to support program growth and the alignment of academic programs with regional workforce needs. New York State agreed to provide $15,000,000 and Erie County and ECC each provided $7,500,000. Little information was available to determine the programs that would occupy the new space, the adequacy of existing space, or the actual appropriateness of locating a new building at ECC North Campus. In 2012, the newly-elected Erie County Executive, Mark Poloncarz, the County, and ECC agreed that a detailed space needs analysis was required to examine the space and program needs of the College as a whole. The cost of the analysis was shared by ECC and Erie County. During 2012, the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) was developing the Buffalo Billion Investment Development Figure 1.1 - Iconic Buffalo at Plan. As the Buffalo Billion plan took shape, collaboration between Erie City Campus Erie Community College JMZ Architects and Planners Program Needs Analysis and Space Utilization Assessment Page 1 County, ECC, and the Buffalo Billion plan stakeholders revealed the important role ECC will play in the region’s economic advancement. Improved and expanded programs at ECC will be instrumental in addressing the skills needs of regional employers. The analysis revealed that ECC does not have the quality or quantity of space required to accommodate improved and expanded programs. In September 2012, Erie County and ECC retained JMZ Architects and Planners, P.C. to conduct a study titled, “Program Needs Analysis and Space Utilization Assessment.” This report documents JMZ’s independent analysis of the College’s space needs and provides recommendations for ways the College can better align its academic programs with the regional workforce needs of the Buffalo Niagara region. The Important Issues JMZ worked closely with the project Steering Committee throughout the course of the study. At the onset, the Steering Committee presented the consultants with six key questions to be addressed. Over the course of the study, the list grew to include twelve questions that target specific issues: • Regional Workforce Needs • Growing Industry sectors • ECC enrollment and demographics • Alignment of ECC programs with workforce advancement needs and employment opportunities • The quality and size of ECC academic and technical spaces • Efficient utilization of existing ECC space • Strategic expansion of ECC programs and spaces • Targeted consolidation and relocation of selected ECC programs for effectiveness and efficiency This report includes narrative that directly addresses each issue. Alignment with the Buffalo Billion Investment Development Plan The Western New York REDC published the Buffalo Billion Investment Development Plan in February 2013. JMZ’s planners worked collaboratively with the Buffalo Billion plan consultants and regional stakeholders. • JMZ’s planners, ECC, and Erie County participated in workshops and private consultation meetings with the Western New York REDC and the Buffalo Billion Investment Development Plan consultants and stakeholders throughout the course of the study. • Using data from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. and New York State Departments of Labor, and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, JMZ’s research consistently verified the findings reported in the Buffalo Billion plan and in other publications about the Buffalo Niagara region. JMZ Architects and Planners Erie Community College Page 2 Program Needs Analysis and Space Utilization Assessment • The recommendations included in this report are in alignment with the Buffalo Billion Investment Development Plan. Implementation of the ECC Program Needs Analysis and Space Utilization Assessment recommendations will position ECC to perform its valuable role in carrying out the regional workforce advancement strategies that are part of the Buffalo Billion Investment Development Plan. Major Findings • More graduates in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and technical programs will be needed. Like many other U.S. cities, the Buffalo Niagara region has a skills gap. The mismatch between the skills sought by employers and the skills of potential employees is a key hurdle to be solved. Currently, most degrees awarded to students in the Buffalo Niagara region are in liberal arts, business, education, and health. • STEM education extends opportunity to Buffalo Niagara workers at all levels. ECC has a role in preparing all workers for jobs and careers in STEM-related industries. There will be demand for professionals with advanced degrees, workers with advanced training, and skilled labor with two-year degrees or certificates. • ECC must be more competitive to attract the region’s potential students. The Buffalo Niagara region will have fewer college-age people than its peer regions through the 2020s and 2030s. In recent years, ECC enrollment has decreased. Students are leaving Erie County to study elsewhere. Geography alone is not the deciding factor for students attending college. Programs offered, modern and attractive campus facilities, transportation, instruction delivery method, and schedule are important factors in students’ college choices. • Industries such as manufacturing, trade and transportation, and utilities are expected to lose 20 percent of their skilled labor to retirement as the Baby Boom generation ages. Jobs created in these sectors will be augmented by additional positions that will be created as workers retire. • ECC has existing programs in place that correlate with projected growth sectors of the economy. Independent reports (such as the Buffalo Billion Investment Development Plan) and data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census show that three industry sectors are poised for growth in the Buffalo Niagara region: Advanced Manufacturing, Health and Life Science, and Tourism. ECC City Campus programs prepare students to enter the workforce directly; ECC North Campus and ECC South Campus programs prepare students to transfer to four-year colleges and universities. • Advanced Manufacturing and Health and Life Science careers require STEM-focused academic programs. Erie Community College JMZ Architects and Planners Program Needs Analysis and Space Utilization Assessment Page 3 • ECC does not have the type or amount of space to accommodate STEM and advanced technical programs. Existing buildings, particularly at North Campus, are worn and outdated, and the spaces are not scalable to accommodate new technology and pedagogies. New construction is recommended for new STEM and advanced technical program spaces. • ECC’s current science and nursing labs are sorely in need of renovation and expansion. They will need modernization to accommodate new programs (such as bio-manufacturing) and teaching facilities (such as Center for Interdisciplinary Practice and Simulation, or CIPS, spaces). Major Recommendations