With the good news of a settlement on points of contention between the West Los Angeles College, the city of Culver City and surrounding homeowner associations, West can continue transforming its campus.
Almost one month to the day after Culver City filed suit to halt the college’s construction plans, it is about to be withdrawn after the City Council last week and the trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District this week both unanimously approved of a new settlement agreement.
“Now we can more fully give our attention to bringing our new buildings online,” said Dr. Rose Marie Joyce, West’s Interim President for the past seven weeks.
“I am thankful to Culver City and the homeowner association leadership for continuing to work with us to find solutions we all can work with. It has been a difficult process. But in the end, I think all parties want what is best for the students we serve without undue hardship to our neighbors.”
Voter-approved bond projects completed thus far include a 1,000-space parking facility with a rooftop solar panel farm and infrastructure upgrades that include campus-wide wireless access for students. This autumn, a state-of-the-art math/science facility opened. It houses modern labs, what are called “smart classrooms” where professors can incorporate technology into traditional teaching, and a dental training facility rivaling those of local universities.
West hopes to spend next summer moving into a new classrooms building and Student Services Center. The classrooms replace rotting bungalows that were called temporary when they were set up decades ago. The Student Services Center will consolidate all student services in a single setting, which not only will be more convenient for students but improve the quality of services.
“What is not changing,” said Bob Sprague, Academic Affairs Vice President, “is our commitment to providing students with a small private school experience at a community college price.”
As for the new entrance road on Jefferson Boulevard just west of La Cienega Boulevard, the campus anxiously awaits County approval for opening it.
Ms. Long-Coffee may be contacted at longcofm@wlac.edu
