As the spring semester comes to an end, the Capital Improvement Program, or CIP3, finished some construction projects and continues to work on others for Skyline.

As an update to the article published last semester by Olivia Bowman titled Developments on campus cause chaos, construction for the new Environmental Science building that will be built on Vista Ridge is now well underway.

The Capital Improvement Program is a very elaborate program that goes from initial planning to construction and they also do occupancy of new and renovated spaces.

Skyline wanted to do these construction projects a while back. They wanted the campus to be more efficient and wanted students to have more resources at their school.

The projects that CIP3 are working on at Skyline are the Environmental Science building, renovating Pacific Heights, rebuilding the Social Science and Creative Arts building, and construction at Loma Chica which will start in the summer. The Social Science and Creative Arts building will have an expanded quad and classes will be held at Pacific Heights while the construction is going on and Loma Chica is getting a new play yard and new windows. The renovation of Parking Lot L has already been completed.

Chris Fritsch-Strugar, director of capital projects of the San Mateo County Community College District, talked about these projects and their purpose.

“The process started back in 2013 or earlier. The projects were developed to meet the goals of the district and college’s strategic plan and academic master plan. The facilities master plan articulates the conceptual program required to support the strategic and academic plans,” said Fritsch-Strugar. “In 2014, the San Mateo County voters approved a ballot question appropriating the funding to construct and to renovate the facilities at Skyline College and its two sister colleges: Cañada and CSM (College of San Mateo).”

Skyline keeps improving, not just with new projects but with diversity in the workforce. One of the projects that CIP3 is working on, the construction of the Environmental Science building, has women architects, engineers, project managers and people of different races.

Skyline student Evelyn Orozco, a civil engineering major, talked about the diverse people involved in the construction of the new building.

“Having women and people of different ethnic backgrounds is extremely important because it pushes for a more inclusive work environment,” said Orozco. “This matters because people who are at a disadvantage in society are less likely to face discrimination and receive the same opportunities as their counterparts who are at an advantage.”

Students also had something to say about these new projects at Skyline.

UC Berkeley student Monique Ubungen, an English major, who works as a peer tutor at Skyline, expressed her opinion about all of the construction Skyline is doing.

“I’m very excited to see Skyline’s CIP3 infrastructure projects come to life and all the amazing improvements around campus. However, I will really miss the beautiful open space of the vista point where the new Environmental Studies building (Building 12) will be built,” said Ubungen. “Overall, it was once such a wonderful place to sit on the ledge and peacefully enjoy the view of the ocean.”