UPDATE: The Nevada higher ed. regents unanimously approved the facility at their Sept. 7, 2017 meeting.
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Truckee Meadows Community College is asking the Nevada Board of Regents to approve an increase in fees to help pay for a health and sports complex that would consist of a fitness building and a soccer field at its main campus.
A new $5 per-credit fee would pay for the proposed $14 million, 20,000-square foot fitness facility. The complex will consist of a multi-use gymnasium, weight room and exercise rooms. It would provide spaces for health and wellness activities that include individual training, intramural leagues and physical education courses.
An approximately 170,000-square foot soccer field will allow TMCC to start men’s and women’s soccer teams. The field would also be available for community soccer leagues to rent. Also included in the proposal is a track, bleacher seating, a field house and concession stand.
“Competitive soccer will provide an engaging experience for students beyond the classroom and an effective recruitment tool for specific populations, including international students,” a statement from TMCC said.
Many of TMCC’s administrative and academic faculty are opposed to the project. A survey showed more than half disagree with the proposed facility.
Regents are scheduled to meet Sept. 6-8 at Great Basin College in Elko. They’re being asked to approve a concept for the new complex, along with an additional $5 per credit hour to fund the project and approval to utilize $1.5 million of general improvement fees for planning and pre-construction costs. A financing plan would be brought back to the board in the future.
TMCC conducted a survey of students last fall that showed 80.39 percent wanted intercollegiate sports at the main campus, 7,000 Dandini Boulevard. Answering “no” were 13.52 percent, while 6.09 percent said “other.” Of the 7,730 students on the main campus, 969 participated in the survey, which equates to a 12.5 percent response rate.
According to the same survey, 31 percent of students said they’d be willing to pay an additional $6 to $10 per credit hour for the complex, 30 percent indicated they’d pay an extra $5 per credit hour, 23 percent said they didn’t want to pay anything, 11 percent said they’d pay an additional $11 to $20 and 5 percent said “other.”
A separate questionnaire that had 756 students taking part showed 43.25 percent of students didn’t want to pay for the complex, 37.96 said they’d pay an additional $5 per credit hour, 10.85 percent said they’d pay more than $5 per credit hour and 7.94 percent said they’d pay less than $5 per credit hour.
If an additional $5 per credit hour is granted, $4.50 would go toward paying for building the complex and 50 cents would be put toward operating expenses. Estimated annual revenue would be almost $830,000, according to the college.
For more information: http://system.nevada.edu/tasks/sites/Nshe/assets/File/BoardOfRegents/Agendas/2017/sep-mtgs/bor-refs/BOR-13.pdf
