Dr. Feleccia Moore-Davis, St. Louis Community College at Meramec Campus President, and Mark Petty, Director of Kirkwood Electric, are looking toward the future of STLCC - Meramec. Below, read their insights on the transformational changes taking place on the college campus.
Feleccia: When I came to Meramec in 2019, one of the things that I wanted to do is provide exemplary service to the college and to the community. Our campus serves as a path, not just to meet educational goals but also a path for the lifelong learners in our community.
As we move into 2023, St. Louis Community College is making transformational campus changes; transforming the student experience as well as the community experience.
Mark: Transformation means bringing new people and new ideas into the room. We are fortunate to have a local partner like Feleccia thinking about the educational ways to transform our community while supporting the use of greenspace for walkers, joggers, and bikers.
Feleccia: We really try to be responsive to community needs. The voters approved Proposition R in 2021, which allows us to make these positive changes in our programs and our campus. The project will start in January 2023 and will be ready for use by 2025.
As we change the face of the Meramec campus by demolishing old buildings and adding new, LEED-certified, three-story buildings with possible rooftop greenspace, we will create a beautiful front door to our campus facing Big Bend Road. We will also feature commercial greenhouses as part of our expanded horticulture program. We are going to landscape our gardens to make that space accessible for our students to learn and the community to enjoy. To help to solidify our relationship with the community going forward, our new building will offer a maker space. Our students use the most advanced technology, and our maker space will allow the community to access our technologies such as 3D printers and graphic design talent. Our campus will become a tremendous resource for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Mark: Our engineering project management consultant is a graduate of this institution. Having employees with skills in drafting, engineering, finance, graphic information systems, and mapping is a huge value for our workforce.
Feleccia: Preparing students for 21st-century jobs is the cornerstone of our new programming. We are also creating new academic programs for financial services, personal finance, solar energy, CAD certifications and emerging technologies as well as expanding our nationally renowned horticulture program. We can transform our community by offering the talent they require while preparing our students for the workforce.
Mark: As the Director of Kirkwood Electric, education is the cornerstone of our business. We now have a resource to point businesses to when we talk about the future of workplace and economic development.
Feleccia: We believe that all students can learn. Nelson Mandela said, “Education is still the greatest weapon that we have that will change the world.” There are growing questions about the value of higher education, but one of the things that differentiates community colleges is that we connect students directly to where they want to go. Whether it is a job, a transfer to a four-year institution, the next step on their career path, or as they move along their journey of lifelong learning.