Bossier Parish College Creates New Campus
Published Mar 07, 2008
Chancellor Tom Carleton says even Texans are impressed by buildings at Bossier Parish Community College
Bossier Parish Community College has raised its profile.
With a sparkling new campus off Interstate 20, the 39-year-old community college now boasts a setting to match its strong academic and workforce development programs.
The college’s 4,000 students and the community can’t say enough about the change in scenery from the college’s former home adjacent to Airline High School, says Chancellor Tom Carleton.
Carleton says typical student reaction has been that “BPCC feels like a real college now. It gives us a better sense of going to school.”
It’s easy to see the reasons for the pride. The four three-story classroom buildings, student service center, theater, health and physical education center, and library/administration building on 71 acres along U.S. 80 provide more than just elbow room. The previous 18-acre campus on Airline Drive featured portable buildings and cramped parking lots, Carleton says.
The $55 million campus, completed in December 2004 after seven years of planning, is drawing notice from outside the Ark-La-Tex area, too. “It’s the only campus in the state to be built in its entirety at one time,” Carleton says. “People from Texas are driving over to find out how we did it.”
The community college has all of the traditional offerings expected at a two-year school – allied health programs, computer systems, criminal justice, business classes, telecommunications and academic preparation for students bound for four-year universities.
Its 27 associate degrees vary from broadcasting to Web development and design. The school also offers 17 certificate programs and 19 rapid-training programs.
HOLLYWOOD CALLING
But the college has more than a dash of drama, too.
In 15 years, Bossier Parish Community College has built a premier theater program, preparing students for careers built around the stage and the camera, Carleton says. The program has particularly flourished with the move to the new campus and its state-of-the-art theater complex.
Importantly, there are more chances for the drama students to practice what they’ve learned without leaving the region, because movie companies are choosing to film here.
“Shreveport is becoming the Holly wood of Louisiana,” Carleton says.
In addition to training workers for the bright lights, the college has a strong tradition of workforce development to support area companies. It has formed partnerships with businesses including BlueCross BlueShield of Louisiana, Kenyan Enterprises Inc. and Aeropres Corp.
Individuals get special attention, too. For example, MOMS helps single mothers with low incomes complete their education and training, and Louisiana Work Ready! enables others to develop skills needed to be successful in the workplace. “The key to the future is education,” Carleton reminds.
By nature, the community college is flexible and can adapt quickly to the changing demands for workplace training for specific companies, he adds. The Division of Economic Development can customize training for companies with high-demand occupations. The college also can develop new courses of study as the demands change.
“We can jump in quickly,” Carleton says. “We’re a lean, mean, fighting machine for education.”
Story by Michaela Gipson Morris
Photo by Wes Aldridge
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