Southeast Community College

[ita]

Facing shortage of rural health care pros, SCC expands with state-of-the-art facility

The SCC Health Sciences facility is an 81,000-square-foot, four-story building comprised of 14 state-of-the-art health sciences labs. It boasts eight active learning classrooms, a three-floor interdisciplinary center, a student collaboration space on each floor, interdisciplinary faculty hubs and interactive outdoor learning spaces.

The facility – which has been in development for two years and replaces outdated space constructed in the late 1970s – will house 16 health sciences programs: Long Term Care Administration, Associate of Health Sciences, Associate Degree Nursing, Practical Nursing, Dental Assisting, Medical Laboratory Technology, Surgical Technology, Surgical First Assist, Respiratory Care, Polysomnographic Technology, Health Care Services, Paramedic/EMT, Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiologic Technology, Pharmacy Technician, and Medical Assisting.

It’s the first stand-alone building separate from the main building on the Lincoln campus.

[Doctor Fate]

This is nice to see. I think SCC has a lot of potential in downtown Lincoln too. I would love to see them move in the next five years to a new building and open up their current space on O Street for redevelopment.

[nebugeater]

This is nice to see. I think SCC has a lot of potential in downtown Lincoln too. I would love to see them move in the next five years to a new building and open up their current space on O Street for redevelopment.

At one point they WERE the DT redevelopment!

[Doctor Fate]

This is nice to see. I think SCC has a lot of potential in downtown Lincoln too. I would love to see them move in the next five years to a new building and open up their current space on O Street for redevelopment.

At one point they WERE the DT redevelopment!

Lol really?

A couple years ago SCC had plans to build a new campus downtown across Capitol Pkwy from Lincoln High before things fell through. They were then looking at several spots to build a new building or lease space. The two big contending spots I remember being told about were:

- The blocks from 17th to Antelope Pkwy and L to K
- Several floors in the then-proposed City Centre building on the SE corner 9th and Q

Obviously those plans were abandoned or put on hold but I hope the opportunity for something happens in the future.

[ita]

High-tech features, remote access on display in new SCC health sciences building

When it opens in January, Southeast Community College’s $25 million health sciences building will be physically located in Lincoln, but it will exist across the college’s 15-county service area.

Packed with high-tech simulation labs, mock operating rooms and model dental offices, the 82,000-square-foot facility is designed as a draw for future health care workers seeking in-demand jobs such as skilled nursing and respiratory therapy.

But a bevy of cameras, microphones and screens placed strategically throughout the facility at 8800 O St. will also connect the state-of-the-art classrooms to students at SCC’s satellite learning centers in places such as Hebron, Wahoo or York.

“Our goal is to keep people in their communities,” said Jill Sand, the dean of SCC’s 16 health sciences education programs. “Students migrate to Lincoln to go to school, and they say ‘Oh, I’ll go back to my hometown,’ but then they never do.”

[ita]

Southeast Community College president, board member push back on criticism

Paul Hammel
The president of Southeast Community College and a member of its elected board are pushing back on criticism from 23 state legislators about the college’s proposed tax rate increase.

The senators, in a letter released last week, called on the college board to reconsider a preliminary decision to raise the college’s tax levy from 9.37 cents per $100 valuation to 11.25 cents, the maximum allowed under state statute.

That, the senators said, would raise local taxes to support SCC up to 40%, if combined with recent increases in property valuation. The senators said, that runs counter to the Legislature’s goal of reducing taxes.

While it might not result in a tax increase, because property taxes paid to community colleges are 100% refundable via a state income tax credit, the lawmakers pointed out that not all taxpayers take advantage of the credit.

Both SCC President Paul Illich and Arlyn Uhrmacher of Lincoln, the vice chair of the SCC Board, pushed back on lawmakers’ criticism in separate interviews Friday, saying that the issue is complicated and a new law impacts community colleges very differently, and that the tax rate hike was necessary to sustain the college into the future.

Illich, speaking by phone while on vacation, said SCC has kept its tax rate low in recent years but, because of the passage of a new law that will shift community colleges off the property tax rolls, the college needed to increase its “baseline” rate to avoid a steep tuition increase and a shortage of funds for programs and staff salaries.