The Southwestern Community College District Governing Board has unanimously voted to reevaluate all Proposition R projects to determine the best use of bond funds and reassess its priorities.
This reevaluation will not affect ongoing Proposition R work with the DeVore Stadium Field House, the college-wide central plant, the Higher Education Center at National City and the Elmhurst and Gotham street entryways to the Chula Vista campus. However, work on all other Proposition R projects, including the Corner Lot development, will cease until April 2013.
The Governing Board took this action after receiving the final draft of an independent Focused Review and a companion Internal Analysis. The documents evaluate events that took place between the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 fiscal years that led to the severance of several contracts.
The Governing Board voted in January to commence processes to sever relationships with BCA, the Corner Lot architect, and Seville Construction, the Proposition R project manager. Last fall, SWC released Echo Pacific from its contract as construction manager at risk.
“We need to take a new look at Proposition R,” said Board President Norma L. Hernandez. “This is part of our commitment to ensure the public’s money is used most appropriately and effectively to achieve our goals of educational excellence, institutional integrity and transparency.”
The plans put in place after passage of Proposition R in 2008 projected the projects would not be completed until 2035. The reassessment will focus on moving up the completion date by a decade to 2025.
“This will mean much more efficient use of taxpayer money because the buildings will be placed into use 10 years earlier than originally anticipated,” Hernandez noted.
Over the next year, SWC will be working with its college consultation groups and the broader South Bay community to evaluate campus needs through 2025. “We are looking at facilities to best serve students in the context of the state fiscal realities that are impacting all community colleges,” Hernandez said
“College and community growth projections that were foundational in the original planning need to be reassessed,” said SWC Superintendent/President Dr. Melinda Nish. “We are in a brand new normal and assumptions that existed when the bond was passed in 2008 have changed due to shifts in the economy since then.”
Over the next 12 months, the College District will work to update SWC’s Educational and Facilities master plans by focusing on student needs to determine the most appropriate use of bond funds. The college also will be addressing critical issues regarding internal technology infrastructure, college procurement policies and procedures as well as ensuring an adequate and trained staff.
The Focused Review was an independent review of Proposition R procurement and contracting practices for fiscal years ending 2009 and 2010 as well as issues faced by the Southwestern College Foundation during that same period.
The internal analysis of the review has seven recommendations and a 20-step action plan to improve college processes and strengthen Southwestern College’s commitment to transparency and strong fiduciary oversight.
“The college and its Governing Board acted in a thorough and responsive manner as soon as they became aware of problems,” said Nish. “Our goal is to exceed compliance standards. We are using this challenge as an opportunity to reshape ourselves and realize a new standard of transparent decision-making and institutional integrity.”
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