In the middle of the Fall semester, a college moved its campus. Tahoe-Truckee Sierra College students and staff moved from a cramped and inadequate office building at the Pioneer Center on the north side of Truckee to a spanking new facility on the old ‘Hippie Hill’ in the heart of town. On October 11, the college threw open its doors for the first time to welcome the community to an all-day event with tours, presentations and demonstrations, displays, and refreshments.
Sierra College English Professor Eve Quesnel and West Shore resident and writer Tim Hauserman compare notes on the energy of the Open House and ponder what the new campus can offer now and in the future.
Eve: Downstairs the swish of paintbrushes in an airy art room create original pieces of artwork, as machines in the Mechatronics lab rest before they resume their mechanical workings. Soon, too, Bunsen burners in the science lab will hiss their flames, and potters wheels will whirr. Only a few weeks ago, the cacophonous sounds of construction subsided, to be replaced by the harmonies and rhythms now playing at the new campus. Indeed, McIver Hill is alive with the sound of music.
Tim: Tour the freshly completed Sierra College and you will be impressed by the design of the building and the tremendous potential for future expansion. But what really caught my eye was a turn lane on Highway 89 and a small directional sign saying ‘Sierra College.’ While the College formerly held classes in a building north of Interstate 80, now it is a real college. A campus. What will this mean to the Truckee-North Tahoe community?
Eve: Offerings at the new campus continue from years past as determined by the main campus at Rocklin, but new courses are being considered as the Tahoe-Truckee campus now stands in its own unique environment. An example of its distinctive offerings can be found in the Mechatronics lab, which integrates electronics, mechanics, pneumatics, hydraulics and computer control in a discipline particular to our area: understanding the workings of chairlifts. Also, an array of environmental classes will be added to both science and humanity majors. The college will provide campus tours soon to students from both North Tahoe and Truckee High Schools, and a program is already in place for high school students to get a jump on college by taking college level courses while still in high school. The most exciting part of the opening of the new campus is the scope of possibilities. With one new building, dreams have swelled.
Tim: Tahoe-Truckee campus dean Kurt Heisinger says that the new campus provides the opportunity to expand class offerings over what could be taught in the past. EMT courses will now be taught in a classroom specially designed to teach EMT, as well as other physical education-oriented classes. Heisinger says, ‘We have a student commons area and learning center where students can come in and study. We never had that before. The feedback from current students is that the campus is a wonderful place to study and spend time with other students. People take pride in being here.’
Eve: As one of many instructors at the new campus, I must confess my utter excitement. When I entered the building, I was immediately met with grand high ceilings, profound candelabra-like light fixtures, warm earth-tone colors: yes, pinch me, no, a little harder. I saw students immediately plunked down on leather couches around the towering fireplace and in chairs around tables in the cafeteria area. Looking further into other areas, I greeted administrators in their new offices and then imagined the library bookshelves teeming with new texts. Yes, I thought, Sierra College in Truckee has finally found a home.
Tim: Dave Ferrari, long-time Tahoe local and Sierra College trustee, looks forward eventually to the construction of student housing adjacent to the classrooms. This would attract full-time students from out of the area, giving students the opportunity to get two years of college education in a beautiful place. Ferrari feels another significant benefit to the campus is that it provides a better opportunity for local students to stay in the region and attend college for two years. Sierra College classes cost only $20 per unit, and if the student lives at home the cost of an education is minimal. Given the current state of our economy, it’s an important factor behind the anticipated dramatic increase in community college enrollment statewide. For many students having a hometown college gives you the opportunity to ease into the college experience.
Eve: We can’t deny that Truckee has changed exponentially in the last 10 to 15 years, and some of the changes have jostled some of us, abruptly, from our comfortable rooted seats. But much transformation has been beneficial as evidenced by the arrival of new humanitarian and environmental organizations. Hippy Hill is forever changed, no doubt, but it does remain very much alive.
Tim: The facilities and infrastructure that the new campus provides are the perfect venue to develop relationships with community organizations. With the availability of a lot more classroom space the community will also benefit by an expanded catalog of not-for-credit classes. And with more classes and more students come more teachers, a vibrant addition to the community. Trustee Dave Ferrari says, ‘The potential for Sierra College is huge. We have a big canvas that we are just beginning to paint. We have put in the background. We want to eventually turn it into a masterpiece.’
