Governor Patrick Signs Historic Bond Bill for Higher Education Expansion
Governor Deval Patrick on Thursday signed into law a bill to invest $2.2 billion over 10 years for new buildings or renovations at all of the state's 29 community and state colleges and at each of the five campuses of the University of Massachusetts.
For Middlesex Community College, it means a $45 million dollar investment in the college's development - $24 for the college's Bedford campus and $21 million for its city campus in Lowell. The Lowell figure includes money for a new performing arts center, which will allow the college to expand its music and dance academic programs.
"This is thrilling news for the future growth of Middlesex Community College and will dramatically impact the college's growth for decades to come," said MCC President Carole Cowan. "The investment by the Governor and our state lesiglature has provided an exciting opportunity that will help chart the course for the development of this college at both our campuses."
Cowan especially praised the work of the legislative delegation from Lowell - Senator Steven Panagiotakos, and State Representatives Thomas Golden, David Nangle, and Kevin Murphy, who worked for months with the college to ensure that the needs of both of MCC's campuses were met.
"Our delegation recognized this as the historic opportunity that it is, one that will be able to play a significant role in the economic growth not just of our college, but of the communities in which we are located and the student population that we serve," Cowan said.
“This legislation represents an important investment in the future of our Commonwealth, and in the future of our students,” Governor Patrick said in a press release.
The bill sets aside up to $1 billion for the five University of Massachusetts campuses, and $1.2 billion for the state and community colleges. Funds will pay for much needed projects at each of the Commonwealth's public higher education campuses, ranging from minor renovation to new construction. Cowan said MCC is already looking at potential growth opportunities on both its campuses, and is planning to meet with state legislators soon to outline a vision.
“This bill is historic not only in terms of the sheer dollar investment it makes in higher education, which is significant, but in aligning the educational and economic needs of the Commonwealth,” said Frederick W. Clark, Chair of the Board of Higher Education.
"The Commonwealth's public institutions of higher education have been vastly underfunded over the past decade, making it difficult for the schools to remain affordable,” said Senator Robert A. O’Leary, Senate Chairman of the Joint Committee on Higher Education. “This bond bill is a momentous commitment to helping the public campuses stay innovative and modern, and most importantly accessible to all of the Commonwealth's citizens."
“There is a tremendous and long standing need for investment in the infrastructure that supports our state and community colleges and the University of Massachusetts. These institutions are attempting to educate a 21st century workforce in facilities that are often decades out of date and deteriorating. This bill provides funds for every public higher education institution in this state to help address these pressing capital needs,” said Lowell Rep. Kevin J. Murphy, House Chairman of the Joint Committee on Higher Education. “I believe that investing in our public higher education system pays dividends not only for our students and their individual well-being, but for the economic health and success of the Commonwealth as a whole: that it is essential to maintaining the long term viability of our economy and our standard of living.”
The bill is based on the Commonwealth’s first ever debt affordability analysis and five-year capital plan. It authorizes the Governor to implement a significant shift in capital spending priorities reflected in the five-year capital plan, taking higher education capital investments from just 3% of all state bond-funded spending to 10% of all bond-funded capital spending in just five years. The bill is also based on a master capital plan developed in consultation with the Board of Higher Education (BHE), college and university presidents and chancellors, the Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM), and three nationally recognized architectural and planning firms. The plan addresses the unique mission and needs at each campus.