New Campus!

DETAILED DEVELOPMENT PLAN TESTIMONY
CITY OF BROOKINGS CITY COUNCIL
AUGUST 5, 2008
Judith M. L. Hansen, President
Southwestern Oregon Community College


The Southwestern Oregon Community College Detailed Development Plan submitted to the Brookings Planning Commission commits our college to a sustainable and environmentally conscious construction of our new Curry Campus for effective higher educational opportunities. The new Curry Campus will provide a full Associate Degree program, Practical Nursing licensure and Community Education opportunities on-site, as well as distance connectivity for Associate Degree Nursing and Baccalaureate and Graduate programs through the Southwestern University Center.

Tonight marks an historic moment for Southwestern and for our Curry County citizens. Thanks to the magnanimity of U.S. Borax, represented this evening by Burton Weast; tenacity of Curry Campus staff members, lead in the beginning by Peggy Goergen and continuing with Jason Wood; loyal Curry Campus Advisory Committee members, many of whom are in attendance here this evening; the Oregon legislature, lead by Representative Wayne Krieger; former Southwestern President Steve Kridelbaugh and our Southwestern Board of Education, represented here tonight by Board Vice-Chair and Curry County citizen Cherie Mitchell; emerging collaboration with Curry General Hospital, under Bill McMillan's leadership; and thousands of patient Curry County citizens, we come to this moment of land use request before the Brookings Planning Commission for a full-service college campus in Curry County.

Our Southwestern land use request for a new Curry Campus represents true community collaboration that has resulted from decades of increasing resources and ability to provide quality higher education services. The new Curry Campus will build on the face-to-face courses, distance nursing, degree programming and community opportunities currently available throughout Curry County. With completion, citizens will be able to complete a full Associate Degree at the new campus, a new Practical Nursing program of study and continued distance Associate Degree Nursing offerings, as well as take advantage of new community meeting and performance spaces. The planning, construction and operation of the new campus also reflects the physical and educational commitment to sustainability consistent with the values of the Oregon South Coast.

Southwestern Oregon Community College thanks you, Curry County and the City of Brookings, for your patience and continued commitment to opportunity that brings this moment to reality.