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DSC names new student center for L. Gale Lemerand

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Daytona State College has named its 84,000-square-foot student center under construction on its main campus in honor of longtime benefactor and former trustee L. Gale Lemerand during a Thursday, May 31, ceremony, followed by tours of the three-story structure, expected to be completed next spring.

The naming marks a formal recognition of Lemerand’s longtime support of the college and its students, including a most recent gift of $2 million to the Daytona State College Foundation. The gift brings to more than $3 million donated to DSC by the prolific entrepreneur over the years in support of student scholarships and campus growth initiatives, becoming the college’s most generous living benefactor.

“Today, we come together to honor a man who has been a champion of higher education, not only at Daytona State College, but throughout the state of Florida,” said DSC President Tom LoBasso. “The entire college community is deeply proud and honored to name this new student center for Mr. Gale Lemerand, whose longtime support of Daytona State already is leaving a legacy that will live on for generations and continue to serve countless students. Gale, thank you for being a friend of Daytona State College and for making such a huge difference in the lives of so many of our students, yesterday, today and well into the future.”

The new facility will embody a design and function for modern-era higher education that will focus on student engagement. It will facilitate a paradigm shift in teaching and learning for the 21st century, noted District Board of Trustees Chair Forough Hosseini. “This will be a place where students can socialize and interact with their peers, faculty and college staff, and access the resources and guidance they need to stay on track,” she said. “We know that students who are engaged in college life are more likely to achieve academic success and complete their degrees. This facility is being built with this in mind.”

In addition to academic support services that include the library and writing center, the building will house a study commons, state-of-the-art classrooms, conference rooms and a large events center. Career Services, a one-stop resource center for career planning and job placement, also will relocate to the building.

The facility also will serve as a hub for the DSC student life experience, where students will gravitate to relax and socialize, with offices for student clubs, a game room, a cafeteria and coffee lounge, and an outdoor dining area.

Trustee Hosseini noted, “It is the generosity of people like Gale Lemerand that helps our lawmakers take notice when we make our funding requests. Knowing that our community’s leaders are serious about being partners in education, helping us achieve the kind of excellence in teaching and learning that our students expect goes a long way in Tallahassee.”

DSC to break ground for Student Center/Workforce Transition facility, May 4

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Three-story, 84,000-sq-ft building will be campus hub

Daytona State College ushers in its 60th anniversary with a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, May 4, marking the start of construction on a Student Center/Workforce Transition building that will embody a design and function for modern-era higher education.
The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. on the south side of the Daytona Beach Campus, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd.
“We’re thrilled to get this facility underway,” said DSC President Tom LoBasso, noting his appreciation for legislative support for the $32.6 million project. “Students will gravitate to this building, which will become the focal point of the campus and an iconic structure on International Speedway Boulevard. It will be a center for student engagement with peers, faculty and college personnel, which research shows is key to academic success and degree completion.”
The building’s exterior will feature a coquina façade and bronze portal marking the building’s southeast entrance. A three-story structure, it will be built using green construction principles that are resource-efficient and environmentally responsible.

In addition to academic support services that include the library and Writing Center, the 84,000-square-foot facility will serve as a hub for the Daytona State student-life experience, featuring classrooms, a large events center, conference rooms, offices for student clubs, game room, study commons, cafeteria and coffee lounge, and an outdoor dining area.
The library alone provides academic support to about 1,200 students a week (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 facility will enhance digital and information literacy for students, faculty and staff.
To support students from enrollment to graduation, the center also will include Career Services, a one-stop resource center for career planning and job placement, where students can explore career options, research employment opportunities, create resumes, practice interview skills and learn how to dress and act professionally. The center will serve both students seeking work experiences and businesses offering internships, service learning opportunities and/or cooperative education placements. Career Services has seen an 80 percent growth in utilization over the past 2 years, with almost 7,500 student engagements through visits, job-board registrations and in-class presentations last year.
The college’s Student Life Skills class, required for all associate of arts students, also will be offered in the new facility, providing a state-of-the-art teaching and learning experience for students.
To make room for the new building, the college recently razed its early 1970s-era Bergengren Building that through the years housed DSC’s main administrative offices and workforce training programs, but has been little used in recent years.
The Student Center/Workforce Transition building is expected to be completed in spring 2019, with webcam construction viewing available daily.
The building is being designed by New Jersey-based ikon.5 architects, Princeton, N.J. The construction manager for the project is Perry-McCall Construction Inc., Jacksonville.