FY16Capital Request Increment Summary

Increment TitleSDI CategoryGFNGFTotal

  1. Whitehead/Hendrickson Remodel 4,485.0 0.0 4,485.0
  2. TEC Renewal Phase 2Student Achievement & Attainment 1,800.0 0.0 1,800.0
  3. UAS Student CommonsStudent Achievement & Attainment 14,800.0 0.0 14,800.0
  4. Juneau Mine Portal 1,000.0 0.0 1,000.0

Total FY16 Capital Request 22,085.0 0.0 22,085.0

Priority 1:Whitehead/Hendrickson Renewal 4,485.0 GF 0.0 NGF

(R&R)

Background:

This request represents the remaining phases of this project, which received formal project approval in February 2014. The Whitehead and Hendrickson buildings require upgrades to major building systems including mechanical, electrical, exterior envelope and building system controls. These improvements are needed to improve energy efficiency, reduce operational costs, and replace systems and components that are at the end of their service life.

In the process of making these improvements, UAS will take this opportunity to reconfigure the interior spaces to use these spaces more efficiently and to provide for a more effective assignment of space to the departments.

Preliminary Scope:

These phases will remodel the Whitehead Building. The upper floor will be connected to the adjacent Soboleff Building to make a consolidated faculty office space for the School of Arts and Sciences. The lower floor will accommodate a new IT server room and two classroom/labs.

Programmatic Need Addressed by the Project:

The project is expected to improve the operational efficiency by lowering future energy and maintenance costs. Energy costs will be reduced due to replacement of older less efficient heating, ventilating and lighting equipment. Future maintenance costs will be reduced due to replacement of equipment that has or is nearing the end of its useful life.

The School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Education will be positively impacted by locating faculty and staff for each school within one building. In the past, the Schools have grown organically, and faculty and staff were placed away from their respective schools. This project locates faculty and staff for respective schools to be located together, creating greater opportunities for collaboration, informal meetings and greater cohesion within each school.

The FY17 request budget will include an additional amount needed of: 1,495.0, bringing the total of FY16 + FY17 to $5,980.0.

Priority 2: TEC Renewal Phase 2 1,800.0 GF 0.0 NGF

(R&R)

Background:

The Technology Education Center is the principal career education teaching facility at UAS Juneau. This project would be the second phase of a significant renewal and repurposing of this 35 year old facility.

Preliminary Scope:

The project consists of mostly interior renovations to the existing facility located near downtown Juneau. The First level includes 27,600sf of interior space mostof which isindustrial in nature. The second level consists of 8,800sf of offices and classrooms, with large underutilized locker rooms. There is also a 2,200sf mechanical attic accessible from the second level. In addition to the main building there is a satellite building of 5,200sf currently used for welding and storage.The remodel will include modifications to interior spaces on both floors of the main building as well as updates to the welding building. Exterior work included in the project consists of two additional entrances to the main building and painting of all existing siding to correspond to program identities.

The lower level will be divided into three programmaticareas sharing some common spaces. The power technology component of the remodel will include updates to the lower level from the large highbay/heavy equipment workspace to the east face of the main building.

The Mining Training Program will be relocated to the area currently labeled as the plastics shop. The existing walls separating the carpentry shop will be demolished along with all walls and equipment along the interior of the north wall. A new Mining Training Center entrance and vestibule will be created in the north wall. The entrance vestibule will have glass doors and relites for transparency. A new canopy will be built over the entrance to provide shelter as well as increased visual prominence for the entrance.The vestibule, reception, office and mining computer lab will all receive new acoustic partition walls, carpet and drop ceilings with lighting. The new mine training class will retain its overhead door to the heavy equipment work space and leave the ceiling open to existing roof framing. The mining heavy equipment bay and simulator space will have the existing simulator placed in the southern part of the bay with preparation for an additional identical simulator in the future.The existing storage room in the southwest corner of the existing Mining Class will be remodeled into a handicapped restroom.

Other items include: new emergency showers, replacement of all exhaust fans, elimination of compressed air controls in all remodeled areas, and replacement of the buildings shop air compressor.

Programmatic Need Addressed by the Project:

UAS’ mission includes a strong emphasis on career and technical education (CTE) that meets the needs of Southeast Alaska and the state as a whole. This mission is fully aligned with the UA Strategic Direction Initiative (SDI) which calls for “Productive Partnerships with Public Entities and Private Industries.” UAS programs contribute to fulfilling strategies in the Alaska Career and Technical Education Plan, which calls for a CTE training and education system that produces quality graduates in high demand occupations. UAS achieves these results through extensive partnerships with both public sector partners (e.g., Alaska Departments of Labor and Education, K-12 education, and private sector businesses (e.g. mining companies, tourism, Alaska Native corporations).

The Technical Education Center (TEC) is the primary education and training facility in Juneau that allows UAS to meet these CTE goals. It houses programs in Power Technology (diesel, automotive, marine), Mine Training (including a state-of-the-art mine training simulator), Construction Technology, Welding, and Marine Transportation. Its proximity to nearby Juneau-Douglas High School promotes alignment of career pathways involving both secondary and post-secondary education.

TEC Renewal Phase One provides a significant expansion with a focus on high-demand Power Technology programs, including Mine Mechanic training. TEC Phase Two will continue facilities renovation with a special focus on the UAS Center for Mine Training—increasing UAS capacity to meet the growing needs of Southeast Alaska’s top private employers. With two operating mines near Juneau, and two more mines under development in SE Alaska, UAS needs to be proactive in providing essential training in mining occupations, including mine safety, heavy equipment maintenance and operations, and mine mechanics.

Priority 3:Auke Lake Student Commons 14,800.0 GF 0.0 NGF

New Construction

Background:

Per the 2012 UAS Master Plan: The primary challenge facing UAS in its mission to support community engagement is the lack of suitable venues on all three campuses for engaging the broader community and partners with shared visions and goals. As a result, UAS continues to hosts a variety of forums, lectures, and cultural performances in spaces ill equipped or large enough to accommodate large gatherings. The university’s popular Evening at Egan Lecture Series, for example, is hosted in the Egan Library. This space lacks appropriate seating and sightlines for large audiences.

All three campus locations would benefit from larger venues for hosting music, dance, theatrical and other cultural performances. Smaller venues specifically designed for the temporary installment and public demonstration of student, faculty, and visiting lecturer research and creative expression is also lacking. Current space utilized for this purpose is often in high traffic corridors and hallways that do not lend themselves to public viewings or small group discussion.

Improvements to Juneau Campus dining options and facilities are a high priority. Commuter and resident students alike would benefit from both convenient locations as well as diverse food options. With the new resident hall at the Juneau Auke Lake campus, updated and redesigned dining facilities should be a high priority.

Amenities should be built and expanded that encourage both resident and commuter students to remain on campus in order to strengthen both the social and academic aspects of campus life. This is an especially critical need during the winter months. Indoor amenities could include:

•Coffee house

•Improved late-night food options

•Game areas and wellness rooms

•Comfortable lounge space and study space

•Relocated/expanded retail opportunities

Juneau campus vision: Multiple gathering spaces are provided in central locations as a resource for commuter students as well as residential students. A new first year student residence hall with living/ learning center will be tucked away in wooded hillside within campus Kwáan. A new student union will provide expanded dining options and relocate the bookstore also within the campus Kwáan.

Preliminary Scope:

A new food service facility, meeting spaces, and student support services constructed as an addition to the Egan Library and classroom facility. The project would construct a 22,000 single story building in the center of the Auke Lake campus.

Programmatic Need Addressed by the Project:

According to the 2012 UAS Master Plan, improvements to the Juneau Campus dining options and facilities are a high priority. Commuter and resident students alike would benefit from both convenient locations as well as diverse food options. With the new resident hall at the Juneau Auke Lake campus, updated and redesigned dining facilities should be a high priority. Assembly and meeting spaces have been judged to be inadequate in size and condition.

Priority 4:Mine Portal 1,000.0 GF 0.0 NGF

New Construction

Background:

The Center for Mine Training at UAS is an important training provider. With strong financial and other support from mining companies operating in the region, it offers many vocational programs, from one dedicated to introducing high school students to careers in mining to some that lead directly to employment such as the mine mechanic programs. These programs need proper training facilities to adequately train underground miners and mechanics. Currently working in partnerships with MPTS, UAS has concluded that the current training facility being used (AJ Mine) is no longer safe and reasonable for accommodating current students. Other options and locations were taken into account when the selection of the site for the Lemon Creek portal was selected; however, the other sites had accessibility issues with road hazards and avalanche dangers. The Lemon Creek portal was selected for its ease of accessibility on the current road system and close proximity to available city resources.

Preliminary Scope:

Lemon Creek Portal: The site will have a tunnel drilled approximately 750 feet into the rock face and have a protective covering extending out 40 feet from the rock face. This access point will be a replication of current mine portal entries.

Initial startup design consultation for the Lemon Creek Portal will include eight core drillings to analyze the substructure of the rock face where the portal is to be located in. Analysis of these cores will determine the feasibility of the portal. UAS looks to an independent engineering firm to help with the coordination of this analysis.

There will be limited facilities on site. Electrical needs will be addressed by a generator. There will be no electrical lines run to the site. Sewer will be taken care of by portable toilets and water may or may not be run in at a later date. Facilities on site are to include a portable temporary electrical generation shed, and a portable safety storage shed.

The Lemon Creek Portal will never be a functional mine. It will be used exclusively for mine training and mine teaching.

Programmatic Need Addressed by the Project:

Underground Miner Program: The Underground Miner Program was created recently in response to industry demand. It is offered by MAPTS with collaborative support from UAS. However, the program is expensive to run. The last offering (2014) was for Alaskans.

If the Underground Miner Program is not offered, the mines will hire experienced miners from outside Alaska (a common practice), which not only does not help the unemployed in Alaska, it also does not create new trained workers.

For underground mines, the training for “hauler/equipment operator” occupations is contained within the underground miner training program and, therefore, offering/not offering that program also impacts the “hauler/equipment operator” occupations.

Pathway to Mining Career: UAS created the Mining Occupation and Opportunities class in 2012 to introduce youth to careers in the mining industry, and entice them into the UAS mechanic programs.

The course had 20 students the first year. The following year demand increased and it was offered, via distance education, to 75 students spread over 22 schools, including in remote villages.

This course is now the entry point to Hecla Greens Creek “Pathway to Mining Careers”. Hecla, which operated the Greens Creek mine near Juneau, is the primary supporter of the program, and has committed to hiring graduates of the program. Support from Hecla not only includes $600,000 in cash, but also includes support of various components of the program such as Greens Creek Academy and job shadowing.

Another mining company in the region, Coeur Alaska, has also provided significant in-kind support.

Mine Mechanic programs: UAS offers two programs that provide training for a career as a mine mechanic. One is an associate’s degree level program (Associate of Applied Science or AAS in Power Technology, Mine Mechanic emphasis), while the other is a lower level Occupational Endorsement (OE), in Power Technology (with Mine Mechanic emphasis).

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