LTCC Breaking Ground on Lisa Maloff University Center
June 20, 2017
Lake Tahoe Community College is breaking ground this summer on a university center made possible by a $5.8 million donation, the largest in the college’s history, from longtime South Lake Tahoe philanthropist Lisa Maloff. The Lisa Maloff University Center will become the home for current and future bachelor degree programs on the community college campus.
The LTCC Foundation is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony on June 21 at the building site, located next to the college’s Fine Arts building and Duke Theatre. The approximately 7,000 square foot building is scheduled for completion by fall 2018 and will house four flexible classrooms that can be combined into two larger rooms for events, a lobby, restrooms, offices, and meeting spaces. There will also be an outdoor plaza to serve as a hosting area for special events.
“Lake Tahoe is a premier California destination, and it deserves a college to match,” said LTCC President Jeff DeFranco. “Thanks to Mrs. Maloff’s generous support we are laying the foundation for a 21st century learning environment for our students.”
DeFranco noted that a significant theme that emerged from a community survey conducted in 2013 during the college’s process to undergo a general obligation bond measure was the desire for four-year degree opportunities in South Lake Tahoe. The college is currently piloting two bachelor degree programs in partnership with Sierra Nevada College: global business management and psychology.
Currently, students complete their first two years through LTCC and then start upper division classes taught by Sierra Nevada College faculty on the LTCC campus. These degree programs along with other possible future partnerships with public and private universities would move into the Lisa Maloff University Center upon completion. LTCC is in talks with other potential partners like California State University, Sacramento, and Washington State University.
Roberta Mason, a founding LTCC board member who served on the college board for 40 years, said she believes the university center will change lives on South Shore.“Lisa and Bob (Maloff) have always supported the college through scholarships and gifts over the years, and when Lisa approached the college about something more significant she made it clear she wanted it to make a difference,” Mason said. “This center will make it possible for students, who through life circumstances can’t travel or move, to reach their educational goals. That is a great service to this community.”