The Carl Hite Math and Science Building has been closed for two years for the $2 million renovation project. When the building reopens in August, it will also house the new Greg A. Vital Center for Natural Resources and Conservation.
Cleveland State Community College is wrapping up a $2 million, two-year renovation and construction project to update the Carl Hite Math and Science Building. It will be the home to the new Greg A. Vital Center for Natural Resources and Conservation when the building reopens in August in time for the Fall 2024 semester.
According to an article on Cleveland State Community College’s website, Robert Brewer, a professor and the director of the Greg A. Vital Center for Natural Resources and Conservation, explained the new center and the impact it will have on the campus community. “The Vital Center will serve as a hub for all students pursuing degrees in Forestry, Wildlife, Fisheries and agriculture. The new facility will give students a place to not only learn, but to develop connections that will last a lifetime. They will be immersed in their chosen field as soon as they enter the doors. It has been designed to help students become more engaged and successful during their time at Cleveland State,” said Brewer.
In addition to the $2 million supplied by the state for the project, Greg A. Vital provided a donation in order to construct the building in his name. A buffalo farmer in addition to being a state representative and the president of a senior living center, Vital provided the funding for the building that will house the Forestry, Wildlife, Fisheries and agriculture programs. The center will be a collaborative area for students to come together to study and work as well as provide a lab for students to work in.
The Vital Center is housed in the Carl Hite Math and Science Building, which underwent renovations to help update and make room for the Vital Center. The building received landscaping upgrades, accessible bathrooms, updated faculty offices, new technology, and a new entrance.
Dr. Andy White, Cleveland State Community College’s president, said of the improvements, “We are excited about these tremendous improvements and opening the new Vital Center. Thanks to the support of our state and the generosity of our friends, Cleveland State continues to offer outstanding, highly affordable educational opportunities to our neighbors here in southeast Tennessee.”
Over the past several years, numerous projects have been taken on to improve the campus and its offerings, including establishing and building a new Health and Science Center and the new McMinn Higher Education Center, and renovating the Mary T. Barker Humanities Building.
For more information about Cleveland State Community College, visit the school’s website.