The students and faculty at West Los Angeles College are happily settling into their brand new, four-story location for social science, liberal arts and other classes.
“As a professor,” said Fran Leonard, vice-chair of West’s Language Arts Division, “I am thrilled to see these deserving students in first-class facilities. Now that they are out of the aging bungalows and in modern, permanent classrooms, I can see a difference in their attitudes and their personal pride.”
The $19 million, 48, 000-square foot building provides modern smart classrooms, which allow instructors to more efficiently integrate technology with teaching and learning.
The building is certified Gold under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard. LEED is an internationally recognized mark of building excellence regarding environmental responsibility and energy efficiency. Qualifying features include the building performing 52 percent better than California’s Title 24 Energy Code when renewable energy is counted in the calculation. The building has effective and energy efficient lighting systems, efficient heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC), occupancy sensors, and high performance window glazing. The carpeting, steel and insulation are made from recycled content. Additionally, many of the building materials were extracted and manufactured within 500 miles of the building.
West President Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh said that the new bond-funded building, “along with the others that have opened in the last three years, give our campus an even more university-like feel. The transformation fosters a mind-set of achievement.”
Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh will welcome the community to an open house, tentatively scheduled for Saturday, May 19. Details will be posted at www.WLAC.edu/BusinessCommunity.
Ms. Long-Coffee may be contacted at longcofm@wlac.edu
