More Buildings for More Students
Visiting alumni reminisced at Homecoming recently about their 400-student university of 50 years ago and recalled the few wooden buildings that constituted the campus. They were overwhelmed by the transformation.

This transfiguration is all around campus, from the Harte Research Institute to the Performing Arts Center. And still the trend continues. Two new buildings are in the works to accommodate the University’s recent growth spurt – a new $15 million classroom building and new housing for 252 students.

The new classroom building will be the second largest building on campus, accommodating 900 students, representing two-and-a-half years of growth. It will house the Communications, Psychology and Social Sciences departments. Special features include a 250-seat lecture hall, a 100-seat classroom, 10 seminar rooms, and 20 state-of-the-art editing stations for video and audio production. Covering 60,000 square feet, the new building also will house 50 faculty offices and 19 regular classrooms. Construction should be completed by Fall 2005.

As enrollment continues to surge, the University has moved quickly to provide more on-campus student housing. Fall 2004 will welcome a new student residence hall that will accommodate 252 residents. Fall 2005 also will see a new resident hall and a cafeteria-style student dining center.

Looking further to the future, the wave will continue with a new mathematics/science resource center for educators. This building will provide innovative professional development for classroom teachers, as well as opportunities for learning effective strategies in teaching math and science for our education students.

A new recreation-kinesiology-athletics building is being planned with initial funds from a $1 million private commitment. Also upcoming is a new Information Technology building to consolidate computer and communications operations in a highly secure facility.