Community College campuses today are not only institutions of higher education for adults of all ages, but increasingly are becoming the location of choice for high school students. This is due to the growing number of middle colleges which have been established on existing campuses, most notably community colleges. Essentially a magnet high school located on a college campus, the middle college is a school within a school, and integrates a high school academic program into a college environment. Students attend standard high school classes but also have the opportunity and are encouraged to take college level courses. Through this experience, students who may otherwise be at risk of dropping out of school, or who don’t imagine themselves continuing their education beyond the 12th grade, are immersed into an academic environment that hopefully inspires them, builds confidence and academic motivation and provides the ability to earn college credit. The success and proven results achieved by these schools are evidence that the middle college is a model of alternative public education that will increasingly be implemented into institutions of higher education. Major support by the Gates Foundation highlights the importance of the Middle College as an innovative model in helping underperforming or at-risk high school students achieve success and matriculate to higher education. As designers and planners, this mix of ages and the integration of students at different levels and in different programs coexisting in a shared campus setting create both challenges and opportunities.
While the first middle colleges were established on urban campuses in the mid-1970s, they now exist on rural, suburban and urban campuses and serve a diverse group of students across the United States. Located in a community that is defined both by its rural context and historic roots as a former mill town, Quinebaug Valley Community College is an institution that plays a vital role in the academic, cultural and civic life of eastern Connecticut. In the fall of 2008, Quinebaug Valley Middle College High School opened on the QVCC campus with thirty 10th grade students from eight surrounding communities. In the fall of 2013, 225 students in grades 10-12 are scheduled to occupy a new 40,000 gsf academic wing designed by Amenta/Emma that will function as a high school from 8 am to 2:30 pm and college academic space during the late afternoon, evenings and weekends. Unlike a typical high school, faculty do not have “ownership” of specific rooms, rather all spaces are for common use by the overall faculty. Critical to the development of program requirements for science labs, classrooms and special areas such as art room and computer rooms is the engagement early of both high school and college faculty in the planning process. The equipment and program requirements in a typical high school science lab are far less extensive as compared with a college organic chemistry course; however, in the case of Quinebaug, the lab must accommodate both users. Identifying this type of need in the original programming stage assures the spatial needs, equipment scope and MEP systems are accounted for in early budgeting.
As a relatively small community college, the addition of 225 high school students to the campus has a direct impact on major assembly spaces such as the Cafeteria and Library as well as on informal study, lounge and gathering areas. The cafeteria seating and servery areas must now meet the demands of the typical high school lunch wave. The library must have ample space for informal study and group collaboration by high school students. There also needs to be enough informal gathering space on campus where students can study in quiet lounge areas or work together or hang-out in more social spaces. While the goal of the middle college is the integration of the high school program directly into the college environment, the planning of new program areas must acknowledge the variety of ways students of varying ages will use space. This lesson related to age also applies to the application of materials and finishes to a project. The durability of the project must address the demands of high school students. In the case of Quinebaug, the continuation of existing finishes into the new academic wing needed to be realistically evaluated in the context of durability with a younger use group (and some details changed).
Overall, due to its proven success rate in helping high school students realize academic success and transition to higher education, the number of Middle Colleges is increasing across the region and the United States. The vision of institutions such as Quinebaug Valley Middle College High School is that there is a complete integration between the high school and the college. As designers it is our role to find innovative solutions which enhance this integration while also addressing the specific requirements that distinguish the two academic institutions.
Robert E. Swain, AIA, LEED AP is a principal, at Amenta/Emma Architects.