{"id":272,"date":"2013-10-08T18:44:43","date_gmt":"2013-10-08T18:44:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ccvhistory.wordpress.com\/?p=272"},"modified":"2013-10-08T18:44:43","modified_gmt":"2013-10-08T18:44:43","slug":"jim-warner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/history.ccv.edu\/index.php\/2013\/10\/08\/jim-warner\/","title":{"rendered":"Jim Warner"},"content":{"rendered":"

St. Albans Academic Center\u2019s Building\/Space based on an Interview with Jim Warner\u00a0as told to Maryellen Lowe, Assistant Registrar (ret\u2019d)<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"JimWarner\"<\/p>\n

For many years one of the greatest problems CCV faced was issues with space.\u00a0 When I first started as a CCV student in 1979 and as a staff member in 1981, CCV\u2019s space left a great deal to be desired.\u00a0 I first came to CCV when it was located in a storefront on Main Street in St. Albans.\u00a0 Class in the building was held in a large open space to the right just after entering the building, where traffic was feet away from the class; a second space was similar but smaller further back in the building.\u00a0 A third class at night was crammed into what was a daytime office.\u00a0 The single actual \u201cclassroom\u201d was small, cramped and had two unheated walls, which made for an arctic winter atmosphere from November to March.<\/p>\n

The next building where CCV located was literally next door to the old one.\u00a0 It had three actual classrooms\u2026a definite step up.\u00a0\u00a0 However, one was relatively small, and the others were not by any means large.<\/p>\n

Most classes were held off the premises in local high schools, elementary schools, church basements, and anywhere that could be found, including on occasion in a private home.\u00a0 I had a class that latter way.\u00a0 CCV desperately needed space.<\/p>\n

It was Jim Warner, a local developer, who came to CCV\u2019s rescue.\u00a0 CCV originally came to Jim\u2019s attention when, even before the two buildings mentioned above, Jim rented two 10 X 10 rooms to the college.<\/p>\n

Later it came about that he and David Buchdahl, one of CCV\u2019s academic coordinators who later became a regional director; our academic dean; then Director of Institutional Research and Planning (now retired), started to talk about CCV\u2019s space.\u00a0 \u00a0This happened, at first, because David recognized the overwhelming need for new space.\u00a0 Jim came on board.<\/p>\n

As a result of further discussions with the college, Jim began to develop a property on South Main Street a few blocks from downtown with CCV in mind as tenant.\u00a0 Andy Dufault, a local builder was chosen.\u00a0 Soon a foundation was laid and a building began to take shape.\u00a0\u00a0 Consultations between college staff, Jim and Andy led to a space that was ideally suited to the college\u2019s needs.\u00a0 Excitement reigned as the building progressed.\u00a0 It was one of the best days for the academic center, staff and students, when the new building was occupied.<\/p>\n

This was an innovation for CCV.\u00a0\u00a0 At this time it was mandated by CCV\u2019s charter that the college could not own any physical plant.\u00a0 No academic center had ever had space which was specifically tailored to its needs.\u00a0 The building was lovely; it gave the St. Albans Academic Center a true identity.\u00a0 There was green space, lawn and trees, surrounding the building giving it a campus ambiance.\u00a0 One phrase finally disappeared from students\u2019 lexicon.\u00a0 Before it was not unknown for a student to come and tell us, \u201cI\u2019m here to take a few classes then go on to a real college.\u201d\u00a0 With the new building that phrase disappeared.\u00a0 We took on the ambiance of the real college that we were.<\/p>\n

Another \u201cgift\u201d as a result of Jim\u2019s effort was that for the first time over time, most of the classes could be held in our own space, and even occasionally in good weather on the lawn under the maples trees Jim planted to create a campus atmosphere.\u00a0 The students were more than pleased.\u00a0 Often our students had a poor (to say the least) experience in high school.\u00a0 When they came to us and took a class, it was difficult when it turned out that that class was often held in the high school where they believed that they were failures and were so unhappy.\u00a0 It now became easier for students to see and experience the college\u2019s identity and their part in it.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the college bought the building.\u00a0 This, too, was a first.\u00a0 That initial charge in the charter stating the college could not own any physical plant was changed.\u00a0 Since that time CCV has had other buildings both built and owned by the college, for example, in Winooski and the Upper Valley, and other space was built to our specifications and rented as in Rutland.<\/p>\n

\n

All of these were great changes and of vast importance.\u00a0 Jim Warner was both a trend setter and a boon to the college.\u00a0 It may have been a mutually beneficial business relationship, but it paved the way for a great change in CCV\u2019s operations and outlook and view of itself.<\/p>\n

For all of the above, Jim is an important person to CCV.\u00a0 While all this may have happened in any case, that it happened when and how it did is in large part thanks to Jim.\u00a0 He is definitely an important person in the history of the St. Albans Academic Center.\u00a0 This includes myriad small ways in addition to providing new space.\u00a0 Jim always made a contribution to a fund that assisted students in need.\u00a0 It was not uncommon to find a bushel basket of apples and\/or cider for the student lounge in the fall from him and homemade candy for staff from his wife, Ginette for Christmas.\u00a0 It was also not uncommon in the spring to see Jim in the parking lot sweeping up the grit that was laid for traction over the ice in the winter.\u00a0 How many landlords do that?\u00a0 I am also sure that this last paragraph will embarrass him, but it deserves to be said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Thank you, Jim!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

St. Albans Academic Center\u2019s Building\/Space based on an Interview with Jim Warner\u00a0as told to Maryellen Lowe, Assistant Registrar (ret\u2019d) For many years one of the greatest problems CCV faced was issues with space.\u00a0 When I first started as a CCV student in 1979 and as a staff member in 1981, CCV\u2019s space left a great … Continue reading “Jim Warner”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-272","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-faculty-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/history.ccv.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/history.ccv.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/history.ccv.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/history.ccv.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/history.ccv.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=272"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/history.ccv.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/history.ccv.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=272"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/history.ccv.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=272"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/history.ccv.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=272"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}