Northeast Community College to name new residence hall after former college president

NORFOLK – In keeping with tradition, a new residence hall at Northeast Community College will be named after a former college president. The Board of Governors unanimously approved a recommendation Thursday to name the new building after Dr. Bill Path, who served as president of Northeast from 2001-2011.

The residence hall and an adjoining dining facility are presently under construction on the college’s Norfolk campus.

The recommendation to name the residence hall after Path comes from Dr. Michael Chipps, current Northeast president.

“During his tenure, Dr. Path was passionate about creating opportunities for the overall development of the College,” Chipps said. “One example is his outstanding leadership with Wayne State College and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, which was instrumental in establishing the College Center in South Sioux City and the J. Paul and Eleanor McIntosh College on Nursing in Norfolk, respectively. Dr. Path’sexemplary leadership was also clearly demonstrated with the establishment of the Chuck M. Pohlman Agriculture Complex, the Utility Line facility, the College Welcome Center, and the West Point Extended Campus facility.”

Chipps told the Board with much of Path’s career spent in student services, it would be fitting that the new facility be named ‘Path Hall’ in his honor.

“It would be further appropriate in that the two existing residence halls are already named in honor of former (Northeast) presidents, HB Simon (Simon Hall) and Dr. Allen Burkhardt (Burkhardt Hall). Approving this recommendation, would ensure that Dr. Path’s meritorious leadership would be remembered for generations to come.”

The new residence hall will address a pressing on-campus housing shortage that Northeast has experienced for a number of years. Simon and Burkhardt Halls and the two student apartments currently offer approximately 350 beds. So far, over 600 applications have been submitted for the
2016-17 academic year. The new 63,000 square foot residence hall will be able to accommodate nearly 200 students, and a new 30,000 square foot dining facility will provide space for approximately 450 students.

The new residence hall will include single bedroom and double bedroom suites, with four persons living in each suite. In addition to student and private dining areas, the dining facility will include meeting rooms, a student lounge, exercise space and a wireless, open computer lab that will accommodate another 225 students. Another feature is the addition of a convenience store that will be open for late night coffee, snacks and other personal supply items.

Path, who also served Northeast Community College as vice president of student services from 1996-2000, is currently president of Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology.

The residence hall and dining facility will open this fall.