When Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch opens in January, it will be the first time that students from Wesley Chapel will be able to attend college in their own backyard.
The campus’ offerings, however, are expected to have a much more far-reaching impact, said J.D. Porter, whose family donated 60-plus acres for the campus. Porter was among a contingent of guests getting a sneak peak at the new campus in a tour on Oct. 31.
As they walked along, visitors saw construction crews working on scaffolding outside the seven-story classroom building, running wiring within the structure, wiping down lab tables and busy tackling other tasks.
Work is expected to be finished on time for classes to begin in January, according to Pasco-Hernando Community College officials.
The new PHCC satellite campus has come out of the ground quickly, but it has been a long time in the making, Porter said. He believes the campus will have a regional benefit.
“This is something that was needed,” Porter said. Besides giving Wesley Chapel students a chance to go to college in their own community, this campus is expected to attract students from not only across Pasco and Hernando counties, but also from Hillsborough County, as well.
The site, at 2727 Mansfield Blvd., is on the south side of State Road 56, about two miles east of Interstate 75. It is situated across the street from the planned Raymond James financial services office park, next to Wiregrass Ranch High School, and around the corner from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.
In addition to offering two-year degrees, the campus also plans to offer a bachelor’s degree in supervision and management, and a bachelor’s in nursing.
The PHCC name may not last long, however. The college is awaiting approval on its application with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The board meets in December in Atlanta, and if they approve, could allow the school to change its name to Pasco-Hernando State College.
PHCC President Katherine M. Johnson, who helped to lead the preview tour, characterized this as an exciting time for the college, as it opens a new campus, adds new programs and changes its name.
The seven-story classroom building consists of a three-story parking deck, topped by four floors of classrooms and labs. There are 10 classrooms, four computer labs. four science labs and eight health labs on the campus, as well as a library, faculty offices and administrative offices.
The nursing lab, on the fifth floor, will be set up to simulate a hospital ward.
“We tried to make it very much what you would find in a hospital setting,” said Stan Giannet, provost of the campus.
Besides nursing, other classes offered at the campus cover a number of disciplines, including business administration and information technology.
The building has been designed to be energy efficient, which lowers long-term operational costs and reduces its impacts on the environment, said Joseph J. Sorci, director of design for Florida Architects. It has been designed to take advantage of natural light and to conserve water. The campus also uses light-emitting diodes, or LED, lighting and a cooling system that reduces energy consumption.
The design takes future needs into consideration, Sorci said. For example, the network operations center in the library can accommodate additional equipment as it becomes necessary to meet the needs of a larger enrollment.
Care also was taken in selecting building materials, Sorci said. The carpeting, for instance, is made up of carpet squares. If one square becomes damaged it can be removed and replaced.
Besides saving money, that also reduces waste, Sorci said.
Students who want to take classes at the new campus can register at the Brooksville, Dade City, New Port Richey or Spring Hill campuses, or through online registration if they’re a current student.
Open registration begins on Nov. 12. The spring course schedule is available at www.phcc.edu/schedule.
