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Compliance Certification Section 3.10.7

Financial and Physical Resources

The institution operates and maintains physical facilities, both on and off campus, that are adequate to serve the needs of the institution's educational programs, support services, and mission related activities.

Coker College is in compliance.

The College owns or arranges for use of classrooms, offices, and other facilities appropriate to an institution of higher learning. Qualified administrators and staff ensure that facilities are properly operated and maintained.

The Coker College campus consists of 32 buildings on approximately 75 acres of land. In addition, the College contracts use classroom and administrative space at three off-site locations: Fort Jackson, 65 miles away; Mullins, 50 miles away; and Lake City, 55 miles away.

Campus Planning

Executing a goal of the strategic plan [410, pp 28-31], work is currently under way to change and improve the look of the campus through landscaping and hardscaping. Phase I provides for the renovation of the campus interior grounds and closing that section of campus to normal vehicle traffic. Improving safety and security is the motivation for the removal of large segments of vegetation to give the campus a more open look. The existing drive will be removed and a narrower drive with pavers installed to serve as a pedestrian pathway. New trees will be planted, community seating added, and new lighting installed. Other phases provide for the renovation of outlying areas, perimeter lighting, a new (second) entrance, and the closing of N. Campus Dr. as the new Library and Information Technology Center is constructed. See a graphical depiction in [1071] and description by the architectural firm Design Works, Inc. in [1070].

Newly acquired space and facilities include:

• The Elizabeth Boatwright Coker Performing Arts Center. This Center includes a 466-seat theater, a black box theater, a scene shop and dressing rooms, two dance studios, a choral practice room, faculty offices, and one classroom, as well as the Stein Gallery, which houses the Coker College Art Collection.
• The former Coker home, at 210 E. Home Avenue.
• The Byerly Hospital property, at 413 E. Carolina Avenue, across from the Science Building.

The administrative staff is developing a plan for this property, and to accommodate the reallocation of space when the Library vacates its current building.

More generally, campus planning for future utilization of buildings is ongoing. A memorandum to the Board of Trustees Planning Committee shows the evolving plan from 1999 to 2003 in [1586].

Space and facilities needs addressed in the current strategic plan [410] are:

• Additional residence hall space to accommodate a larger student body in the Day Program. This has been addressed through the GSSM departure (Fall 2003) which vacated the Richard and Tuck Coker Residence Hall.
• Larger library space because the College has outgrown the current building. Construction of the new library is scheduled to begin in 2004-5.
• Faculty offices to accommodate new faculty positions. Faculty offices have been reallocated (Fall 2003) with the GSSM departure.
• Renovations and expansion in physical education facilities to accommodate growth.
• Expanded facilities for departments of Education and Business. These will be addressed when the new library and technology center is completed.
• Additional administrative space for the offices of the Registrar and Business Operations. With the departure of the GSSM, additional space is available in the Wiggins house to allow this expansion.

Routine Maintenance

The Director of Plant Operations reports directly to the Vice President for Business Operations. The Director is responsible for upkeep and routine maintenance of buildings and grounds through the staff of Housekeeping, Maintenance and Grounds. Building maintenance is handled on a work-order request basis. Most requests are submitted via e-mail to campusrepair@coker.edu. Maintenance, grounds and housekeeping personnel also visually observe their assigned areas to look for needed maintenance. Larger project work is done on request and is scheduled around the needs of those whose areas are affected.

Scheduled routine maintenance includes:

• Changing of HVAC filters (minimum of twice a year)
• Boiler blow-down and inspection (weekly, when on)
• Inspection and testing of emergency exit lights (monthly)
• Fire and Safety inspections (per code)
• Inspection and testing of fire pump (per code)
• Inspection and testing of fire alarm systems (per code)
• Inspection and testing of fire extinguishers and hoses (per code)
• Inspection and testing of elevators, lift and dumbwaiter (per code)
• Inspection of sprinkler system (per code)
• Inspection, cleaning and testing of foodservice hoods (per code)
• Testing of water and fire line back-flow devices
  

In addition, the College contracts with Honeywell Inc. to provide routine and special maintenance for major HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) in the following buildings: Art, Physical Education, Student Center, Grannis Hall, and the Library. Honeywell is also contracted to conduct annual inspections of HVAC in the Performing Arts Center and the chiller in Belk Hall. Additional preventive maintenance includes annual inspection of heat pumps and air conditioners in the RTC Residence Hall, Memorial Hall, Dining Hall, Science Building and Davidson Hall. The Director of Plant Operations oversees energy management for the campus.

Coker College maintains a Club House and Boathouse on Prestwood Lake for use by students as well as the college community. Plant Operations provides maintenance services for these facilities in much the same manner as is done for the main campus. Coker College also operates Kalmia Gardens, a 33 acre botanical garden located three miles from the main campus. The budget for Kalmia Gardens is separate from the college budget and garden employees and volunteers handle maintenance of facilities. Routine maintenance is handled in house while major maintenance such as HVAC is under contract.

Major Maintenance

Major Maintenance is finance-driven and a file of such maintenance is kept for each building on campus. These records are in the office of the Vice President for Business Operations. The Major Maintenance needs of the college are reviewed by the Vice President for Business Operations and the Director of Plant Operations at least annually as part of the budget process. Assessment of spending and planning for future needs is integral to the budget review, and is part of the normal budgeting process through the Budget Steering Committee.

The Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Index was most recently used in 2000 to find out what students are happy and unhappy about (see a summary in [397]). The results showed that although their perception of maintenance was good, students were somewhat dissatisfied with the comfort of living in the resident halls. Since that time, much has been done to improve living conditions, including major residence hall renovations. A major renovation of Grannis Hall is scheduled for 2004.

(See a list of recent major maintenance projects.)

The College Campus

The Hartsville facilities (mailing address: 300 E. College Avenue, Hartsville, SC) sit on a rectangular campus with a few smaller buildings that lie across the street, and an athletic field adjacent (see plan of campus). The following facilities are accessible to residential and commuting students:

• Residence halls with a capacity of 370 (which will grow to 439 when all existing buildings are fully used), wired for cable, phone, and Internet access, and laundry facilities in each building.
• A large dining hall.
• The Cobra Den--a space in one of the residence halls for students to socialize and play pool.
• The Student Union Building, with space for student government offices, a campus post office, a bookstore, and a recreational room.
• The Library, with printed and electronic resources.
• Parking adjacent to the campus.
• A gym with a basketball court and a weight room.
• Two art galleries.
• Writing, mathematics, language, and technology literacy tutoring spaces.
• Various special purpose rooms such as piano practice rooms, dance studios, a recording studio.
• Easy access to baseball, softball, and soccer fields, and tennis courts a short walk away.
• A Performing Arts center where musical, dance, and theatrical productions, lectures, and college events take place.
• Classrooms and the offices of the faculty and staff.

(See list of buildings.)

The College has a schedule with the occupancy class of each building, found in [1059].

Classroom Space

The College holds classes from 8:00 a.m. until late afternoon weekdays, and until 10:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays, when evening classes meet. There are two evening class meeting periods: an early class meeting time from 5:30 p.m. to 7:55 p.m., and a late time from 8:05 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

There is currently adequate classroom space, both on and off campus. The Institutional Research Office created an automatic report on course capacity. The report for Fall 2003 shows that out of 400 classes, 81 were full, with an average capacity level of 71% (see the full report in [1053]). Fall is the most heavily enrolled semester in a given academic year. (See list of classrooms).

In addition to the Black Box Theater, there are three performance areas with different audience capacities: The Music Auditorium seats 100, the Davidson Auditorium seats 382, and the Watson Theater seats 466. These are routinely used by students in music, theater, musical theater, and dance.

Three on-campus programs are subject to other accreditation: Education, Music, and Social Work. As a part of this process, their respective facilities are examined by outside reviewers. Most recently, the Education Program was reviewed and reapproved. As part of the review, some changes were made regarding facilities: the offices housing faculty and administration for that program were renovated, and their curriculum library was moved from their building to the James Lide Coker III Memorial Library. At the Library, a meeting room was converted into an enclosed curriculum center. New shelving was purchased and installed to accommodate the materials.

Administrative Space Most of the more than 160 employees have their own offices or a cubicle-type space in which to work. Areas such as the Registrar's Office, Business Office, and Admissions have appropriate counters and furniture to segregate office spaces from waiting or service areas, and have sufficient space to accomplish their function.

Because of staff increases and collection development, space in the current library has become very limited, but the new library will be about three times as large (40,000 sq. ft. versus 16,000 sq. ft.), and will have more generous spaces for staff.

Athletics The National Collegiate Athletics Association, Division II, rules apply to athletics facilities. These are reviewed when the program is reaccredited. Most recently this was done in 2002-3, as shown in [740].

Residence Halls For Fall 2003, there were 334 residential students, among them 16 students occupying single rooms. Students are housed in five residence halls. Grannis, Belk, and Coker are coeducational by floor in a suite arrangement and are used to house upper-class students. Memorial and Belk house first-year students. The RTC (Richard and Tuck Coker Dorm) was used for the first time in Fall 2003 after the Governor's School left campus. Only one-half of this dorm was renovated and readied for occupancy for Fall 2003. The suite arrangement of the RTC allowed this dorm to house both returning and new students in a coeducational facility.

Capacities of residence halls (beds):

• Memorial (hall baths and coed by floor): 95 on three floors, including three RAs and six mentors
• Coker (coed by suite): 34 on two floors, including two RAs and four mentors
• Belk (coed by suite): 34 on two floors, including two RAs
• Grannis (coed by suite): 136 on four floors, including 4 RAs
• Richard and Tuck Coker (coed by suite, floor, or side): for Fall 2003, only 1 side was available, offering 68 beds on four floors. Also includes hall director apartments and two rooms for students with disabilities.
  

Total capacity is 439 (with all of the RTC dormitory).
Current capacity is 370 (with half of the RTC dormitory).

Laundry rooms are located in each residence hall. Laundry equipment is provided through a contract with MacGray, Inc. Through a laundry fee built into the housing charge each semester, students are not charged individually each time they use the washers and dryers.

Off-Campus Sites

Fort Jackson This is a large U.S. Army installation near Columbia, SC . The Army allows the College the ongoing use of some of its space according to an annually renewed Memorandum of Understanding [1183]. The College provides access to bachelor's degree programs in Business Administration, Social Work, and Sociology [510 p 24-35]. For details on the rooms at Fort Jackson, see [1061].

The College pays for its own security services and owns the computers in B-109, a computer lab. The College also owns all computers and printers in the three offices.

(See details and plan of Ft. Jackson facilities)

Lake City The College leases space from the Lake City High School in order to offer bachelor's degrees in Business Administration and Social Work. The agreement is found in [1590].

At this site, the College has four standard high school classrooms to use, and one computer classroom with an Internet connection for each computer. The College has access to overhead projectors and TV/VCRs. If any other equipment is needed, it is requested from the College campus. Lake City High School is responsible for maintenance of the facility. The College does not own computers at Lake City. Permission to use their computers and copiers is in the lease agreement.

(See details and plan of Lake City facilities)

Mullins Site The College leases space from the Mullins High School in order to offer a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Social Work, and Sociology. The lease is found in [1574].

Coker College is allowed to use any of the regular classrooms at the high school. The principal's permission is required to use the two computer rooms, both with Internet connections, and the lecture hall. The College can use the science rooms but cannot use the equipment, which is locked away. This is not a problem because all labs are taught at the campus in Hartsville.

In the high school, the College has access to overhead projectors and TV/VCRs. If any other equipment is needed, it is requested from the College campus. Mullins High School is responsible for maintenance. The College does not own computers at Mullins. Permission to use its computers and copiers is in the lease agreement.

(See details and plan of Mullins facilities)

Library Access The high school libraries at Lake City and Mullins do not have materials suitable for college-level work. However, public libraries with computers and Internet access are available to all students. Coker College students are also allowed to use the library facilities at Francis Marion University by showing their Coker College ID card. Students can obtain a special library card that can be used at most academic libraries in the state of South Carolina. This card is offered through an agreement obtained by the South Carolina Independent Schools and Universities. The James Lide Coker III Memorial Library on the Hartsville campus has many resources available through the Internet, including articles and reference sources, and a shared collection of 41,000 ebooks. Students and instructors at off-site locations can request delivery of books from the James Lide Coker III Library. They are delivered the following class meeting. For more on library services, see Section 2.8, Section 3.8.1, Section 3.8.2, Section 3.8.3, and the library organization page.

Reference Documents Cited

ID	Type	Source	Title	Description
397	HTML DOC PDF	Office: Institutional Research	Summary of Student Satisfaction Results	Summary of the 2000 student satisfaction survey from Noel-Levitz. Covers advising, effectiveness, security, climate, service, campus life, showing strengths and weaknesses vs. national norms
410	HTML DOC PDF	Office: President	Strategic Plan 06-18-03	Five year strategic plan for Coker College
510	HTML PDF	Office: Registrar	2003-04 Catalog	Course descriptions, tuition, faculty, administration, staff listing, majors and minors, completion requirements, transfers, general education
740	HTML DOC PDF	Office: Athletics	NCAA Self Study letter	Letter describing the outcome of the 2002-03 NCAA self study. Athletics
1053	HTML	Office: Institutional Research	Course Statistics, Fall 2003	Statistics on classroom capacity, classes taught for all programs with breakdown by class level and location. From the automatic web report.
1059	XLS	Office: Physical Plant	Occupancy Classes for Buildings	Occupancy classes for buildings on campus
1061	HTML DOC PDF	Office: Provost and Dean of Faculty	Fort Jackson Facilities	Description of rooms at Fort Jackson used by Coker College
1070	HTML DOC PDF	Office: President	Campus Facilities Plan	Describes the future usage of buildings and planned changes to the campus.
1071	JPG	Office: President	Campus Master Plan Graphic	Shows the future look of the campus once changes to roads and buildings are made.
1183	HTML DOC PDF	Office: Provost and Dean of Faculty	Fort Jackson Memorandum of Understanding	Legal agreement with Fort Jackson allowing Coker College to teach classes there
1574	PDF	Office: Provost and Dean of Faculty	Mullins Contract	Proposal for the use of Mullins HS facilities by Coker
1586	PDF	Office: Advancement	Campus Planning Recommendations	Discussion of campus planning, showing a history of recommendations.
1590	PDF	Office: Provost and Dean of Faculty	Lake City Agreement	Agreement with Florence School District 3 to use the Lake City High School facilities.