Benedict College’s campuswide transformation initiative now a reality

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Two national companies have signed on to help Benedict College continue with its initiative to transform its campus.

Benedict College, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) serving students since 1870, has reinforced the college’s continued commitment to students and the community via campus improvements to support higher education opportunities, which started with construction earlier this spring to reimagine the campus, according to a news release from the school.

With the support of Siemens, a technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and health care, and MD Energy Advisors, a commercial, utility, and financing energy solutions company, the college’s plans have become a reality, release stated.

“As an HBCU graduate, this collaboration and project mean so much to me and the entire team at MD Energy Advisors,” said Paul Clary, co-founder, in the release. “We look forward to witnessing firsthand the impact these modernization initiatives have on the current student body and faculty as well as prospective students for years to come.”

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The three organizations initiated a collaborative effort in December 2021 to outline a path forward to reinforce Benedict’s commitment to providing transformative learning experiences characterized by high quality academic, co-curricular and extra-curricular programming, intentionally designed to develop superior cultural and professional competencies for a diverse student body.

“It was our honor to serve as an ally to the team at Benedict College to support this initiative,” said Michele Mitch-Peterson, account executive, Siemens Smart Infrastructure USA, said in the release.

In just a few months, the plan that has been developed to maximize alignment and incorporation of best practices will transition into on-campus implementation, the release stated. This will support the college’s vision to be a leader in providing transformative learning experiences for a diverse student body. The modernization program includes the development of comprehensive infrastructure improvements campus-wide including, but not limited to:

• Improving indoor air quality;
• Enhancing comfort with a focus on the dormitories;
• Supporting energy efficient and sustainable operations; and
• Reducing ongoing energy, operations, and maintenance costs.

“We are committed to this initiative, to our community, to our students, to our staff and to our industry. We hope our actions will support the decision-making processes of fellow HBCUs as we all strive to be the best we possibly can be,” said Roslyn Clark Artis, president and CEO of Benedict College, in the release. “Just as students look to educators to support the next step on their journey, we looked to our trusted teammates, Siemens and MD Energy Advisors, to guide us in order for us to make the most informed and best decisions for our students.”