From Staff Reports
Guests from across Volusia and Flagler counties convened on Daytona State College April 20 to hear President Tom LoBasso’s “state-of-the-college” update on new venues now underway and to mark DSC’s upcoming 60th anniversary.
Many of the supporters he thanked during the presentation are familiar names to students, faculty and staff since their names grace campus buildings and spaces.
Dr. LoBasso showcased the College’s expansion since its founding in 1957, when it originally occupied a former hotel. Longtime members of the community like to joke that one of the highlights of that original campus was that every classroom, converted from a hotel room, came complete with its own bathroom.
That seems long ago, as big projects take shape as part of the campus master plans for five and 20 years in the future. LoBasso’s presentation ushered the audience through planned strategic growth of campus facilities and services that now support some 27,000 students who attend DSC each year.
“It’s my passion to share the Daytona State story,” says LoBasso. “Our mission is to provide affordable, high-quality education that fuels and supports the region’s economy. Our students’ success is critical to the growth and well-being of Volusia and Flagler counties, as they become contributing members, workers and leaders in our community.”
The president detailed two major projects underway on the Daytona Beach Campus, each of which present multiple opportunities for recognition of generous benefactors: the new soccer stadium complex; and upcoming Student Center/Workforce Transition Building.
The $3 million soccer stadium complex, on schedule to open for the fall 2017 season, will seat 1,000 fans and features a concession area, press box and high-tech video scoreboard. With heightened interest in soccer, the stadium also will serve as a community resource for club events and regional championships. The new venue recently got the nod from the National Junior College Athletic Association to host one of its largest annual contests – the national NJCAA Div. 1 Men’s Championship Tournament in fall 2018. That event generally draws almost 800 hotel bookings and hundreds of thousands of tourism dollars to the region.
“We will also look to host the NJCAA Women’s Nationals, as well as state high school championships,” LoBasso says, adding, “DSC soccer is an economic driver for our community.”
Unveiling new renderings for the state-of-the-art 84,000 square-foot Student Center, LoBasso announced that construction starts soon, with groundbreaking set for May 4 at 10 a.m. The $39 million facility will become the campus hub, he said, enhancing the full collegiate experience at DSC. A number of key student services will move into the building, including the Library and Writing Center, Career Services, an event space that can seat over 400, dining services, study and meeting rooms and spaces to serve 30 or more student clubs.
Locating significant services in the new center will bring thousands of DSC students and alumni through its doors each semester, noted the president.
The Library alone provides academic support to about 1,200 students a week or 200 students per day. And users annually access electronic resources over 300,000 times, check out 12,000 books and ask more than 4,000 reference questions. Students and faculty tap infoguides created by DSC librarians over 100,000 times, with Library Research Instruction given to more than 4,000 students. The Writing Center handles some 5,600 tutoring appointments, 4,300 visits to its specialized learning space called the Attic, and 5,300 visits for general resources use each year.
Across all these services, the new Student Centger will enhance digital and information literacy for students, faculty and staff.
Career Services, a key support for students and alumni seeking new jobs or career advancement, has seen 80 percent growth in utilization over the past two years, with almost 7,500 student engagements through visits, job-board registrations and in-class presentations last year.
“We fully expect the new facility will engage even more DSC alumni and students through better access, increased visibility and proximity to other student resources,” notes LoBasso.
