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Center to link campus, community
By BARBARA BEHRENDT
© St. Petersburg Times, LECANTO -- James Harvey's face brightened every time he stepped into another classroom already fitted with the latest technological gadgets to improve the quality of instruction. As provost of the Citrus County campus of Central Florida Community College, he knows that promoting the educational opportunities available there is part of the job. Showing off his institution's "toys" is one of the job's perks. A point of pride was a classroom outfitted with big-screen television monitors. One instructor using cameras and monitors can teach students attending class on three different CFCC campuses at the same time. In another room, a high-tech camera was in place to project huge images of computer circuitry to computer engineering students, even those with desks far back in the room. In other rooms were sophisticated labs set up for those preparing for careers in the sciences and medicine. "We're always assessing the needs of our community," Harvey said. Connecting with the community has always been important for the college but perhaps now more than ever. There are big plans in the works to provide more opportunities for the community to use the campus and take more responsibility to support CFCC's work. The Citrus campus is part of the community college's major "Building Futures" fundraising campaign, with plans on the drawing board to build a $2-million conference center on the front portion of the Lecanto site. While the real fundraising push hasn't yet begun in Citrus, college officials are planning plenty of conversations with those who can help in the coming months. The idea will be to tell Citrus County just what an asset the new facility will be. With classes for the fall term beginning Wednesday, Harvey has been preparing for the expected 1,200 credit students and as many as 1,000 others headed for the college for non-credit courses in myriad interest areas. The college also provides for nearly 300 dual-enrollment students. The fall term will mark the beginning of the sixth year the campus has been open at the corner of Grover Cleveland Boulevard and County Road 491. The college has operated in the community much longer, however, having used classroom space at Lecanto High School in the early 1980s until the new campus opened. CFCC opened in Ocala in 1958, and Citrus students have been attending ever since. Before the opening of classroom space in Citrus, a bus for students ran daily to and from Marion County. "We've always had a relationship with Citrus County," said CFCC President Charles Dassance. He sees the planned conference center as a way to further strengthen those ties. The center will help be a focal point to draw people into the campus. "For the most part now, you have to be coming here to be coming here," Dassance noted. The campus is in a fairly open area with long stretches of undeveloped land all the way around. But once people come to the campus to use the new facility, he hopes they will be hooked. "They will really have a much greater understanding of what's available," Dassance said. The timing of the conference center construction will be set later, after the college raisesthe money to build. Dassance said he had great confidence that it would happen. While the college does receive state funding, it is not enough to do the things that need to be done there, Dassance said. He noted that even in the state universities, it is hard to find a facility that doesn't carry the name of some major contributor who helped make the building a reality. "The state clearly cannot meet all the needs for the college, and I want us to be absolutely the best community college in the country," Dassance said. CFCC is trying to raise $7.5-million, much of which can be matched by the state to enlarge the amount available for projects. The campaign started with CFCC employees, and already it has raised $4.26-million, with the biggest donation of $2-million coming from Marion County residents Ron and Phyllis Ewers. Beyond the Citrus project, the other large expenditures planned by the college include construction of the Central Florida Century Center, which will be built at the front of the college's main campus on State Road 200 in Ocala. The center will be used for corporate training, conferences and a host of community events. A wellness center is also planned on the Ocala campus, and additional dollars from the campaign are earmarked for endowments, which will provide continuing student support through scholarships. Similar to the Century Center but on a smaller scale is the project called the Citrus Conference Center. CFCC officials envision it outfitted with up-to-date technology making it attractive to all sorts of conferences and meetings, including those for various businesses and community groups. A catering kitchen which can handle 200 people will also be included in the plan, along with some office and smaller classroom areas. Dassance said college officials have been talking to the community about the plan for about a year and have gotten a very positive response. Some have suggested making the center even bigger, possibly to hold 300 or more. Community members also pushed to have it constructed on the front portion of the property on County Road 491 rather than behind the existing buildings, as called for in the original master plan. The facility could be used for a variety of events, from cultural performances and dinner theaters to company seminars and special events. "We're hoping this will draw organizations from the community to meet here," Dassance said. "We think it will get heavy use." Harvey agreed. He is supportive of any good project that will draw more people into his campus to see all that is happening there. He has been promoting a variety of partnerships lately to involve the local community, including offering training courses for employees of local businesses as part of a partnership with the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce. The college is also working with SCORE to provide small business development opportunities and helping the Realtors Association by provide training for certification. It's all part of the mission, Harvey said. "I've been here for three years now, and we've not done any of this before," he said. "We have to make a major effort to provide what's needed and not available in this county."
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