Crowder shows off improvements to building

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On Friday, May 12, the Crowder Foundation welcomed members of the public, local organizations and the media to a noon luncheon at the Crowder College — Nevada Campus for a tour of the newly remodeled building.

“We are exceptionally proud of this campus, we are exceptionally proud of the faculty and staff that work here,” Jennifer Methvin, Crowder College president, said. “We’re most particularly proud of the graduates you saw as you came in the building, little signs have the names of graduates on it. That’s what we do at Crowder College — help folks get to that graduation mark because that’s what changes lives.”

“We were fortunate, in the 2015 legislative session for the state to increase it’s bonding capacity since it had been over a decade since any of the public colleges and universities had gotten any capital improvement funds,” Methvin said.

The state of Missouri allocated Crowder College $1.8 million for repair and renovation.

“It was much needed money,” Methvin said. “We have two buildings on the Neosho Campus — Newton Hall and McDonald Hall because that’s where we started — that were the last two built for Camp Crowder and the first two where Crowder College began.”

Methvin said both buildings needed extensive renovation, as did the Nevada campus.

“We were fortunate enough to be able to put a great deal of work into this facility which we are so very proud of,” Methvin said.

Methvin introduced the Crowder College — Nevada Campus director, Monte Padgett.

Methvin thanked Missouri senator Ed Emery and representative Patricia Pike, who were unable to attend, and partnering organizations that made the renovation possible.

“The building we are in was built in 1937 with a Federal Emergency Administration project and it was dormitories for State Hospital No. 3,” Padgett said. “In 1999, with the help of the Moss Charitable Trust, Crowder obtained the building and converted it from dormitories to classroom space. There was a sink in every classroom.”

Padgett said walls were built to hide the sinks, carpet was laid, and Crowder started holding classes in the building.

“In 2015, Dr. Methvin said to me, ‘be thinking about what kind of renovation or deferred maintenance type things needs to be done at Nevada, there might be some funds available,’” Padgett said.

Padgett gathered his staff and asked them to help make a list.

Let’s just dream,” Padgett said. “Our number one, was ‘What is going to make the building last another 80 years?’ The building is 80 years old. That’s number one. Number two, what’s going to make us more productive and user-friendly for students and staff alike in the building. Number one was plumbing.”

In late 2015, Padgett was notified that the money was available.

“Anybody have a dog that chases cars?” Padgett asked. “I’ve always wondered what the dog would do if it caught the car. I felt like the dog that caught the car — now what?

With construction set to begin at the end of the spring semester in 2016, Padgett faced a problem.

Padgett said classes could not simply be put on hold because students needed them to graduate so he had to find someplace classes could be held. He called Dr. Phil Whitt at Nevada Regional Technical Center and then called Cottey College.

“Since the beginning in 1996, Crowder and Cottey have gotten along very well, we are not competitors,” Padgett said. “We are team members in the same community with similar goals. We’re trying to build civil, serving, literate, responsible citizens for our area and beyond. They were just open arms. It wasn’t, ‘yeah, we can find something for you’ it was ‘what do you need? We will make it happen.’”

Padgett praised Dr. Weitzel and the Cottey leadership for providing classroom space Crowder College could use over the summer, as Cottey does not hold class during the summer.

“It felt like our campus for the summer,” Padgett said.

For Padgett and the administrative staff, Dr. Tyson Beshore and Dr. Witt at Nevada R-5 provided office space in the Bowman building for the summer and when Nevada R-5 had to prepare the Bowman building for the school year, the office moved to the YMCA for a week and then back into the Crowder building into a computer lab until the office was completed.

Padgett said more than 1,000 students from around the area have earned an academic credential at Crowder College - Nevada

“Crowder is committed to Nevada, and I believe Nevada is committed to Crowder,” Padgett said.

Following lunch, Padgett led a small tour group through the building and pointed at some of the improvements and changes.

Padgett said only about $150,000 of the more than $1 million dollars spent were readily visible.

One of the biggest projects was removing the sinks in the classrooms, the old plumbing, and refinishing the walls. This increased the width of most of the classroom by about two feet.

The first-floor computer lab was completely remodeled at a cost of approximately $37,000. The room is now multi-purpose and features computer monitors that fold away into the desk so that the room can host another class such as math or English.

The science lab has also become multi-purpose with low-backed cushioned stools replacing the traditional metal lab stools. And because of the seating arrangements at the lab tables, a TV has been installed on each end of the room that, in additional to the main projector in the middle of the room, displays what the instructor sees and writes on their computer at the lectern. The administration office and bookstore were also remodeled.

On the second floor, a classroom was converted into multiple offices. One end of the building features a computer lab for students to use, and the other end, a lounge for students who commute

On the third floor, double doors were added to the nursing lab to allow hospital beds to be moved in and out when needed.

The building received new windows and blinds. Bathrooms were remodeled, plumbing renovated, and ground water issues fixed.

The building was ready when classes resumed in late August 2016.

Still, space at the 15,000 square foot Crowder College - Nevada Campus is still at a premium.

“We don’t count square feet,” Padgett said. “We count square inches.”