Officials at South Suburban College in South Holland said they hope state funded projects, including a new atrium and long anticipated nursing and health care center, will reduce the stigma around community college and draw more students to their programs.
The atrium within the college’s main entrance is undergoing improvements funded through a $500,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, college spokesperson Kellie Martin confirmed Tuesday.
Already completed is the addition of a “leadership wall” honoring former and incumbent board members and administration and removal of the college’s welcome center to make room for an increasing number of student events.
“We wanted to make sure that we were creating a welcoming space for students in our college community,” Martin said Tuesday. “Because it is the focal point when you first walk into the college — it’s what you see.”
The updates are mainly aesthetic, including adding a fresh coat of paint as well as replacing tile flooring and the tile enclosing the large fountain that greets students who enter the first floor of the campus. Martin said state Sen. Napoleon Harris, of Harvey, lobbied for the required state funding.
“We want to make sure kids who grow up in our community have a place in our community to continue their education after high school,” Harris said in a June 11 news release.
In addition to the $500,000 in state funded atrium improvements, the college pitched in $70,000 to expand its student food pantry, according to Vice President Patrick Rush.
“It’s just a great resource for our students who need assistance,” Rush said. “The size of the facility is going to more than double in terms of the actual food pantry itself.”
The Greater Chicago Food Depository supplies the college’s pantry items, but Rush said they will seek additional partners to offer free food to more students on campus.
The food pantry and all atrium improvements are expected to wrap up before fall 2025 classes begin Aug. 18, Rush said.
Nursing center
Martin and Rush also said they filled the previous $20 million funding gap last month for a 130,000-square-foot, four-story health care training facility.
The estimated $71 million training center is expected to break ground this summer to serve an additional 600 students.
“We’re going to hit the ground running and this project is going to be moving along really swiftly now,” Rush said. “We’re looking forward to getting as much work done this year as we can before winter.”
The building will house classrooms and labs for the school’s programs in areas such as nursing, pharmacy and occupational therapy. The project previously received $51 million from the Illinois General Assembly, and later a $13 million grant from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Martin and Rush said the college’s foundation continues seeking donations for technology, equipment and furnishings for the facility.
“We’re working really hard to change the stigma that community colleges are a last option,” Martin said. “We’re a first opportunity for education in our communities, and by updating and renovating the spaces and adding new facilities, I think we’re demonstrating that.”
South Suburban College Board President Terry Wells said via email both the Allied Health and Nursing Center and the atrium renovation represent “a bold step forward in our mission to provide high-quality, affordable education and training that meets the evolving needs of the workforce.”
“These investments are not just about buildings — they’re about expanding access, opportunity and excellence for our students and community,” Wells said.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
