"We've been very impressed with the strong support we've received here in York," she said. "We already have more than 600 students in York County and they've told us very clearly that they want full-time day classes."
As a result, she said, the college began to explore the potential for a permanent center in the City of York.
"I'm pleased to announce that we are going to open our permanent center at 2010 Pennsylvania Avenue," Baehre said. "That building will be undergoing extensive renovations to accommodate our programs."
Baehre said that the college will be using a 40 thousand square foot portion of the building including 10 general classrooms, science, allied health and computer labs as well as a bookstore. The initial construction will accommodate up to a thousand students.
"With further renovations and expansion - the building could accommodate as many as three thousand students," she said, "which would make York our third largest campus."
Baehre said that the new center will build on its current base of classes and offer full degree, diploma and certificate programs in more than 20 majors including allied health, business administration, criminal justice, education and social and human services. HACC's college credits are widely accepted by colleges and university throughout the country. What's more, the college has formal transfer agreements with more than 40 colleges and universities in the region.
Requests for bids are being issued today and work is expected to begin on the facility in March. The York Center's administrative and admissions office will move from it's temporary location on Roosevelt Avenue into the new center in June. Classrooms are slated to be ready in August.
"This new center will continue to bring the opportunity for higher education to those who haven't had access - primarily as a result of financial or academic constraints," Baehre said. "Our open enrollment policy allows anyone over 18 with a high school diploma or GED to gain admissions and begin pursuing a college education."
Baehre also predicted that other area colleges would experience a boom in enrollment as the current HACC students graduated and moved on to pursue bachelor's degrees.
"We also expect the area - and particularly the city - to benefit greatly since our students typically continue to live and work within 25 miles of the campus they attend," she said.
HACC - formally known as Harrisburg Area Community College - serves nearly 16 thousand degree-seeking students in a 10 county region from its four campuses and numerous off-site locations.
The college was founded in 1964 and is fully accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.