7-10-12
Western Technical College’s District Board on Monday approved a resolution authorizing the college to place a public referendum on the Nov. 6 ballot.
Voters in 11 counties will be asked to approve a $79.8 million facilities referendum to fund six proposed capital facilities projects at Western. Along with upgraded curriculum, improved scheduling, and increased energy efficiency, the goal of the facility improvements is to allow the college to increase capacity and better serve a growing and diverse student population.
The largest of the projects is the renovation and expansion of the current Applied Technology Center to create a comprehensive state-of-the-art Integrated Technology Center. A main component of the college’s Vision 2020 Strategic Plan is to create “occupational centers” where programs will work together, much like in a real job setting. The new technology center would allow several industrial programs to share classroom and lab space. For example, students studying mechanical design, CNC, and welding can work together in designing, modeling, and creating parts for equipment or other products.
