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February 2005

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16 calssrooms get makeovers
By Irene Burgo 

    Sixteen classrooms were renovated during the Christmas break in four campus buildings, announced Jack R. Johannes, vice president for Academic Affairs. The refurbished rooms are located in Bartley and John Barry halls, St. Augustine Center for the Liberal Arts and Tolentine Hall.

   Last fall, an ad hoc committee of the University’s Space Committee met to consider the needs and goals for improving classroom environments. Representatives included Rick McKay, project architect for Facilities Management, John Immerwahr, associate vice president for Academic Affairs, Catherine Connor, associate dean of enrollment management, Michael Hoffberg, associate director for media technologies and creative design (MT/CD),  David Gregorio, senior technical specialist for that office, and Dan McGee, director of Unit’s IT and user support services.

   The committee identified a critical need to upgrade several old classrooms in order to equip them with the infrastructure needed to support the equipment necessary for multimedia presentations. The proposed renovations would allow faculty members to use laptops and make power point presentations in rooms that lacked these capabilities. Also, the committee identified several classrooms where the general ambiance of the environment needed aesthetic updating, according to Johannes.

    The largest renovation occurred in John Barry Hall’s Room 208 and the adjacent room. Known as the civil engineering department’s “rock room,” this old geology laboratory underwent a total overhaul from head to toe, according to McKay.  An extreme makeover? Possibly.When the construction was completed, the old, the worn environment was transformed into a modern, bright space equipped with the University’s standard audio/visual (AV) system.

   Throughout the projects, Unit’s Dan McGee worked closely with MT/CD staff to coordinate efforts and equip the rooms with the capability necessary to support the  standard AV package. The MT/CD office installed the technological systems while Facilities Management provided electrical and construction support.

   “The goal of the project was to bring these rooms technologically up to speed, so that the instructors could use multimedia presentation equipment,” said McKay.  The old “rock room” and 15 other rooms now feature a modern technologically adapted environment. New projectors with VCR/DVD capabilities housed in a rack, were installed in each room where there was none.  Other new features added include new flooring and ceilings, whiteboard, furniture and a new coat of paint. Air conditioning also was added to the rooms that lacked climate control. In other rooms such as SAC 210 and 310, only cosmetic work like new paint was required.      

   “By adding the AV systems, we brought the classrooms up to date with technology, making them more user friendly,” said McKay. “And by upgrading the aesthetics we made the rooms more pleasing to students using them.”

   “With the addition of these 16 rooms, we now have some 105 classrooms so equipped [with technology] on campus,” added Gregorio of MT/CD.  Where appropriate, the Office of Environmental Health and Safety was consulted to ensure safe handling of any toxic materials involved in the renovation.

   “This was a great opportunity for us to enhance the academic environment,” said Johannes. “Classrooms that were once noisy and physically uncomfortable are now a pleasure to use for both the teachers and students.”