* * * KNAPIK PRESS RELEASE * * *

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 4, 2012 Contact: Zachary Donah (617) 722-1415

HOLYOKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE BILL SENT TO GOVERNOR Legislation will authorize HCC to borrow $7 million for the acquisition and renovation of the Grynn & Barrett Studio BOSTON Senator Michael R. Knapik (R-Westfield) and Representative Michael F. Kane (DHolyoke) announced today that legislation authorizing Holyoke Community College to borrow $7 million from the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency for the acquisition and renovation of the Grynn & Barrett Studios has passed both branches of the legislature and is headed to Governor Patrick for his approbation. The bill, which was filed last January, will allow Holyoke Community College to create a stateof-the-art educational facility for the Associate Degree in Nursing and the Practical Nursing and Radiologic Technology Programs at the site currently occupied by the Grynn and Barrett Photography Studios. The building is conveniently located across from the Colleges secondary access road on Homestead Avenue. These funds will provide an additional 22,000 square feet for specialized and general instruction and will allow the College to repurpose space on campus freed up by the relocation of these programs. In 2008, the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM) commissioned a space reallocation study which concluded that HCC was tightly packed and the current campus would not allow for projected increases in enrollment. The College has pledged to continue to work with DCAM to develop strategies to address space issues in the future.

This legislation will allow Holyoke Community to prepare more students for careers in nursing and health care to meet the growing demand for qualified workers, said Senator Knapik. This will not only be a boost for the college but for the Pioneer Valley as whole, as many of the students and former students live and work within our communities, Knapik continued. A major component of the new facility will be the HCC SIMuCENTER. This program will introduce simulation into the nursing curriculum providing students the opportunity to learn clinical decision making skills, refine technical skills, gain competency in recognizing and preventing common medial errors, and practice a wide variety commonly occurring clinical events and situations. The SIMuCENTER program will also provide a unique opportunity for the creation of partnerships with other community college nursing programs and local health care providers to further educate current employees. Representative Kane added, It is no secret that the health care industry is constantly looking for educated workers to join their ranks. He continued by stating, One of our number one priorities as elected officials these days has got to be helping folks in our region connect their willingness to learn new skills with real career opportunities and I believe the expansion of HCCs Associate Degree Nursing and the Practical Nursing and Radiologic Technology Programs into this new space is a great step in the right direction. Holyoke Community College will enter into a 30-year financing plan with the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency to be paid for through student fees. The college will implement a three-tier surcharge including: a $150 per semester surcharge for Registered Nursing, Practical Nursing, and Radiological Technician students, a $100 per semester surcharge for Pre-Nursing, Pre-Health, and Foundations of Health students, and a $1 per credit charge for all students. Currently, Holyoke Community College is the second least expensive of the Massachusetts community colleges at $4,050 per year. The average for all Massachusetts community colleges is $4,545 per year. Governor Patrick is expected to sign the bill into law. ###