Location: 33 E. Ida B. Wells Chicago, IL 60605; 1st floor
RFP process (closed)
OVERVIEW
Columbia College Chicago is seeking an Owner’s Representative (OR) to manage and oversee all phases of the IBHE-funded Academic Services Project, at 33 E. Ida B Wells Drive. The phases may include, but are not limited to Programming, Concept Design, Design Development, Construction Document, and Construction Administration. The OR will collaborate with the Owner to evaluate and determine the most suitable procurement methods and strategies to be used for this project. Where applicable, Columbia College Chicago will look to implement the guiding principles outlined in its Campus Master Plan, Strategic Plan, Workplace Strategy Guidelines, and the Green Building Program into the project’s design.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
The Owner’s Representative (OR) will work with the Architect, the Project Team, composed of staff members and/or representatives of the Facilities Planning and Management Department, college-wide stakeholders, and the General Contractor. The Project Team will be responsible for the general oversight of the project, represent the interests of the respective stakeholders and provide guidance to the firm. The OR may be requested to subcontract services for other professional service providers such as cost estimators. The OR will be the Facilities Planning and Management Department’s representative who shall be responsible for the day‐today management of the project and interaction with the Architect, the Contractor and other sub‐contractors. The Project Team, OR, Architect and Contractor will meet regularly throughout the course of the project. It is expected that the OR will manage regularly scheduled meetings. In consultation with the Project Team, OR will have the authority to provide direction to Architect, Architect’s consultants, Owner’s consultants, and contractors, consistent with the evolution of the Project; provided that the same shall not involve any adjustment in the total Project Budget, Construction Cost, extension of the Project Schedule, or the authorization of Additional Services or change orders. All such direction, instruction and minor changes shall be effected by written order and shall be binding on Owner, Architect and the relevant consultants or contractors.
Columbia College Chicago seeks to create an integrated “one-stop shop” for tutoring and related support services that promote retention and completion. Currently, these services are located in multiple locations across campus. Co-locating the Tutoring Center, which provides students with support for their academic coursework, the Persistence team, which provides students with coaching and a broader range of support for life on campus, and the TRIO Office, which provides grant-funded and targeted support for underrepresented, under-resourced, and first-generation students will offer students more comprehensive access to the interrelated and mutually supporting services across these three closely related offices.
The integration of these vital student support systems would go well beyond proximity and convenience, it would enhance the awareness by students of other available services they may not currently be exposed to and will enhance the coordination among the offices and drive a more holistic approach and follow-through for students. The ultimate goal is to significantly increase the number of students served, up from the 3800 students served collectively by these offices now.
Our Student Persistence team engaged with nearly 3000 unique students in 2022, and 136 students have participated in the Scholars Project – a special program in this area serving BIPOC and first-generations students as part of the college’s broader Social Justice Initiative – since its founding in 2021. TRIO, a federally funded program serving first-generation students, income-eligible students, and/or students with disabilities, enrolled 153 students during the 2022-23 academic year. The Academic Center for Tutoring hosted nearly 3000 appointments in 2022, supporting 363 unique students in tutoring and another 172 students in academic coaching. In addition, our Academic Advising team hosted more than 12,000 appointments in 2022, meeting with 5268 unique students – approximately 65% of enrolled students. These four areas of student support in academic services are in five different locations on campus. With a redesign of the 1st floor of 33 E. Ida B. Wells, there is great potential to continue offering these services, but to also increase the number of appointments and unique students served in each area.
In an effort to improve the overall student experience and to increase the number of students who utilize these important services, the College is seeking to pull some of these resources into one shared space. With a capital investment, the first floor of the 33 E. Ida B. Wells Building can be completely re-imagined as a new Center for Academic Services. The Scholar’s Project in Student Persistence and our TRIO Program serve many BIPOC and First-Generation college students, with the ultimate goal of increasing student persistence and graduation rates of our frequently underserved populations. Although Academic Coaching and Tutoring are services for all students, it is important to ensure that many students are aware of these resources, and it is easy to locate and access this support. By re-organizing these four units so they are all in one physical space, it will enhance our services for all students, but especially for many underrepresented and underserved students. Tutoring, Persistence, and TRIO offices are currently allocated 12,000 square feet of space. The net assignable space available for renovation to co-locate these offices is 13,000 square feet of space that is designed with purpose and intent.