I am told that spring is coming but every time I look out my window to see if the forsythia is blooming all I see is snow. It makes me wonder when spring will finally arrive. What I don’t have to wonder about, though, are all the good things that are happening here at the college.
Just last Friday, after a wonderful college meeting, we had a chili cook-off featuring ten homemade chilies that were made by some great cooks. It was a close race that required a three-way runoff and the winning chili was made by Brian Collett. Congratulations, Brian.
Looking back on the year, Wayne College has had a number of successes that are a tribute to the excellent people working here. Last year, Wayne College’s finances were excellent as we ended the year with a positive balance, and we are on pace to accomplish that again this year. Thanks to the hard work of everyone, we achieved a budget reduction of 6.7 percent for next year which exceeds our goal of 6 percent.
The generosity of the community has been overwhelming as Wayne College has received almost $800,000 in scholarship donations and grants. Most recently, the Romich Foundation provided a $6,000 grant so that Wayne College could purchase two additional 3-D printers. One the printers will be taken to local grade schools, high schools, and organizations to demonstrate 3-D printing technology. We also appreciate the generous contribution Vic Schantz made to the College recently. Son of Bruce Schantz, a founder of the College, and president of Schantz Organ Company, he was instrumental in bringing the exciting Nashville father/son duo of Tim & Myles Thompson to campus for an evening of great entertainment on March 22. It’s partnerships like this that allow us to be a resource in the community for engaging events and we are grateful for the opportunity.
The bachelor’s degree in social work is now at Wayne College and we have welcomed Ms. Lisa Crites as a new addition to the Wayne College family. Ms. Crites will be coordinating the social work program, advising social work students, and teaching social work courses. We are glad she is here.
The newly renovated science labs are receiving rave reviews from both students and faculty. While there are some small issues yet to be resolved (aren’t there always with a construction project?) the investment in the laboratories is proving to be well worth the investment.
The new access road is also proving to be worth the investment as it is being heavily utilized. This road will be formally named Dr. H. Reid and Susan Smucker Wagstaff Way and will be commonly referred to as Wagstaff Way in honor of Dr. H. Reid and Susan Smucker Wagstaff and the creation of Dr. H. Reid and Susan Smucker Wagstaff scholarship. The formal dedication of Wagstaff Way will be coming up in the late spring and we will be sure to let all of you know the date.
We were notified last month that we will be receiving $800,000 over the next two fiscal years for capital improvements. Some of the major projects that this money will be used for include the fire suppression system, repair of the HVAC system, installation of a new roof over E-wing (my office area), and replacement of the plate glass windows in the main building, just to name a few.
We have three projects that we will be working on over the summer. The first is an upgrade to our fire suppression system , which is over 40 years old and needs to be modernized. The second is a modernization of a classroom in lower A-wing that will also make it larger. The third project is a renovation of our auditorium. We will be replacing the current seats with new, larger seats and making a significant upgrade to the electronics. While the seat replacement will reduce the seating capacity of the auditorium the result will be much more comfortable seating for those attending classes and events.
The successes, both large and small, here at Wayne College continue to grow. So come on out and let us share these with you. You know you are always welcome and besides, you might get to see that beautiful forsythia.