A new residence hall for up to 330 students is open for business at Northampton Community College. During a brief ceremony on August 27, President Mark Erickson lauded the $20 million project, which will house students from 20 different countries, as a "learning laboratory." He was especially happy that the dorm, which connects with existing facilities, was finished on time and under budget. It nearly doubles the number of students who will be able to live on campus.
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| Lauren Strong will be a Resident Advisor |
Arif Fazil, President of D'Huy Engineering, was especially impressed by the washers and dryers.
"Do laundry often," he advised students. "Don't bring it home."
Lauren Strong, a NCC student who will be a Resident Advisor, explained to the audience of about 80 that she and many others are continuing their education after a break from schooling. In her case, it was a five-year break. What she likes about Northampton Community College is that it provides "quality and affordable education without sacrificing the college experience."
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| Toni DeHart and Josh Lopez are two of the cooks at the dining commons, which will include gluten and dairy-free options |
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| The NCC Spartan provided security |
How can NCC still be a "local community college" when students from 20 different countries are enrolled?
ReplyDeleteThis school is spending money like it's never ending yet many colleges are laying off staff, struggling to enroll students, and make ends meet.
Oh wait, it's funded by the local taxpayers so they must have the same government mind set, spend that money, it's not ours and it makes me feel good...
Traffic is a nightmare in that area all day.
ReplyDeleteThe construction of dorms is bothersome to local school districts which foot the bill for the college. The districts have laid off hundreds of teachers while supporting a community college that has gone beyond its original charter. The college administrators will tell you that dorms are being supported by the student residents. Not so, their construction and supporting bond issues were paid for by local taxpayers and the teachers who lined up for unemployment benefits.
ReplyDeleteIn Bethlehem, the funding request is met with a rubber stamp, no questions asked.
ReplyDeleteAre you suggesting a school should not be a "community" college simply because it is popular? What a ridiculous and u=ignorant observation! NCC has students from all over bc it offers programs that are rare at other community colleges, like funeral science and nursing. As for the cost of the dorm being paid by local schools, it was paid for by the NCC foundation. One of the reasons this great nation is going into the tank is because of people who do not understand the importance of education.
ReplyDeleteI would not call traffic there a "nightmare." I use those roads and you have to be careful when school is in session bc of pedestrians, not drivers.
ReplyDeleteYou know how many new funeral home jobs were created in Pa last year? 4. But, we taxpayers are paying for an education program that provides no real employment and puts teachers out of work. And, don't buy the propaganda that the foundation is paying for it. If the foundation were paying for the programs that woul benefit our local students, who would be coming out ahead.-local school districts which would pay less leaving money for others.
ReplyDeleteI doubt your statistic is accurate, especially given the ads I see from the Pa Funeral Directors Ass'n. http://www.pfda.org/pfda-job-postings/ . The teachers' union is misinforming you.
ReplyDeleteIf people were unable to get jobs, they would not be taking that course or the nursing course or another course that teaches people how to be linemen. It is a successful college, and one of the things school districts are supposed to do is educate people, not just pay teacher salaries. You are criticizing NCC for being successful.
It's sad to see such short-sighted and ignorant behavior, but no surprise.
pa dept of labor forecasted a growth of jobs in the funeral industry from 1340 in 2004 to 1380 in 2014 or a growth of 40 new Jobs over a ten year period or four new jobs each year. Armed with that information the powers to be at ncacc implemented a program at considerable cost to supporting school districts. The community college is a community college. Its purpose is to offer post high school education and vocational education to local residents that benefits the local community, not Philadelphia or the Ivory Coast. To wake people up, let's change the funding support from the school district to the county since in all other community collegesin pa are supported by county taxpayers. Then, when the county lays off employees to continue supporting education of out of county residents, we will see where you stand. If you require, I will provide the state website. It is difficult when texting from a phone.
ReplyDeleteAs my link to the funeral directors site demonstrates, your facts are clearly wrong. But you still rely on flawed information to pursue an anti-education agenda. You do so without acknowledging that nonresidents pay significantly more to attend NCC and effectively subsidize the resident and the school districts you pretend to care about, In short, your argument falls flat on its face. At the same time, you effectively call school administrators liars for asserting that te cost of this residence hall was paid for by a foundation. The realty here is that you are talking out your ass.
ReplyDeleteYou said the cost of the residence hall was paid for by the foundation see your statement at 10:01. My position is that is an inappropriate use of funding. Funding should benefit taxpayers. Agreed that out of county residents pay more, but to the benefit of residents. Not so - look at the costs passed on to school districts and its increases. I am in favor of education, but am willing to have an intelligent conversation of how to fund it. What the community college has done is great, bu it has come with a price on local overtaxed school districts. That formula has to be reevaluated and, perhaps, the Philadelphia resident student needs to pay 15,000 per year. Right now, local taxpayers are supplementing that student's education which is unfair. The personal attack was not warranted. I have posted on your website for years and have never taken a personal swipe at you or another poster. This post is my Last.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness. Your facts are wrong and your conclusions are skewed by an short-sighted anti-education agenda, sprinkled heavily with parochialism. I can't believe anyone who has read this blog for years would think he or she could make ignorant comments like yours and not be challenged.
ReplyDeleteThe dis-barred wannabe reporter must be drinking again and I hope you drown your sorrows from your rental apartment you piece of shit!
ReplyDeleteI'm not reading the post as a anti education, more like local school taxes going to what should be at this point, a self funded college.
ReplyDeleteIt's the same old story non-property owners I/E the renters, don't give a crap how much property taxes are, and then they cry when their rent goes up.
ReplyDeleteSo O'Hare, someone winked ant you and now you are in the tank for the community college. Another reason you are incapable of being a news reporter.
ReplyDeletePretty obvious what kind of people are opposed to education. Anonymous cowards who resort to personal attacks when all else fails. If you had not lost the argument before, you have now.
ReplyDeleteAs Bernie stated, tax payer money is not paying for the dorms. The NCC Foundation, run by volunteers who also are donors are paying for it, as are the cost for the students to live there.
ReplyDeleteThe people complaining would be the same ones who would bitch if they had to pay taxes on the $1 million they won!
And if you are going to be critical, but your name out there.
Just because Bernie said it doesn't make it truthful. Remember, he's a disbarred lawyer who lied to his client!
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