Biology Zoom Room coming to GCC

By CHARITY SMITH

csmith@yourdailyglobe.com

Ironwood - Gogebic Community College will soon have a fourth Zoom room. The board approved funding a biology Zoom room during its regular meeting on Tuesday night.

"The addition of a Zoom room keeps a tested, common platform that is already in place on campus," said Steve Spets, director of Information Technology.

According to college president George McNulty, the new Zoom room will not only update that area of the college, but it will "create a condition" where the college and the students can be more successful in the future.

The additional Zoom room will cost $37,156 and is being paid for with funds from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.

The college approved another Zoom room at its October meeting for a chemistry lab, which was expected to cost the college $34,080. The board approved an amended cost on Tuesday night. Because of additions to the equipment quote, as well as adjustments to the equipment list due to product unavailability, the total cost of the chemistry Zoom room build will be $37,483.

"What happened is that Zoom contracts with a third party equipment sourcer once we sign off and they did not include in that initial quote shipping and equipment insurance costs," said Spets. "So that jumped that $3,000. It was a mistake. It was an honest mistake on both their side and our side for not noticing that."

The college has two other Zoom rooms. One is located on the third floor of the academic building. The other is at the Copper Country campus in Houghton. The Zoom rooms are used in in-person, remote, and hybrid formats for conferencing and community training opportunities. They feature state-of-the-art audio and visual technology, according to the college.

The board approved a contract with Van Ert Electric Company, of Kaukauna, Wisconsin, to upgrade the main campus with a fiber network backbone. The project will cost $49,490 and is also funded by the HEERF III funding the college has received. The network backbone the college has now is outdated, and consists of copper wiring connecting all of the network switches throughout the four main buildings.

"This upgrade would allow for an improved student, faculty, staff, and guest experience, and also improve the remote digital experience for GCC," Spets said. "Van Ert Electric came in with the lowest cost along with the most thorough network design and project plan."

Water bottle filling stations will be installed throughout the college over the semester break. The board approved a bid from Future Plumbing LLC of Hurley for $16,020 to replace the drinking fountains across campus and remove the bubbler head. The current fountains are outdated and no longer ADA compliant. The filler stations will be lower to the ground to allow easier access for those in wheelchairs.

"There's a big difference between the code inspections of old and the code inspections of new," said McNulty. "This is necessary to maintain ADA compliance which is extremely beneficial."

The board also approved a contract amendment with RNA Facilities Management for janitorial services for an additional six months at a rate of $13,505 per month. This more than doubles their previous contract price of $5,833 per month. The increase is to account for additional workers. When the college first contracted with RNA they were only 2.5 workers. There are now 4.5. McNulty said the college was quite pleased with their services. The college will be conducting an RFP process for janitorial services prior to the expiration of the amendment.

The board accepted a donation of a billboard structure from Craig and Mary Root of Woodbine, Georgia. The structure is located in Bessemer Township on the 79-acre property which was recently donated to the college by the Mussatti family. The Root's decided to donate the structure to the college for marketing purposes. The sign is known as the Montreal Landing sign.

"We can do all sorts of things with it on the marketing end. It's in a good location," said McNulty.

The college will be closed Dec. 24, 2021 to Jan. 2, 2022. The closure includes the Lindquist Student and Conference Center, walking track and gymnasium. The college will reopen on Jan. 3. The spring semester will begin on Jan. 10.