“For these science classes, most of them of which, students prefer to take face-to-face,” RCC president Randy Weber said. “So now we’re on time and able to deliver these courses with our great faculty and now a state-of-the-art facility.”
The new 17,000 square feet facility includes a two greenhouses, four labs, two classrooms and much more.
RCC’s Redwood Campus hasn’t seen a new building in over 30 years.
This one comes at the right time, as the previous science building, built in 1965, was outdated.
Lab technician, Michelle Smith, says the science center also couldn’t house all the students needs in one place, until now.
“Everything that a student in the science department would need, for this campus, to take courses here is in one building and one place,” Smith said. “It’s beautiful, it’s convenient, we absolutely love it.”
In 2016, voters passed a $20 million bond to fund new projects at RCC, with the science building costing $8.5 million.
State representative, Lily Morgan, who once attended RCC, says the new science center will have an impact on the community.
“It offers a lot of options for families in our community and its going to mean more success in our community and economic development ultimately,” Morgan said.
Smith believes the new science center will also help increase enrollment, as students look for a state-of-the-art facility in the Rogue Valley.
“I think we’re going to see a lot more students coming in here wanting to get science coursework done,” she said. “Maybe their going to transfer to another program or another discipline. But their going to come here and go, yeah, I think I want to do my science work here at RCC.”
With the money saved from this project, the school plans to update more facilities in the near future.
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