Smart design makes the grade
at UIS’ University Hall
When Tessa Gronewold entered the newly constructed University Hall on the University of Illinois at Springfield campus for her computer class last fall, she was awed by the striking, state-of-the-art building and the cutting-edge technology it boasted.
“The technology used in the classrooms is great. It gives me and other UIS students a definite advantage, and keeps me a step ahead of other college students in my area of study,” says Gronewold, a senior accounting major.
The $31 million, 128,000-square-foot, four-story building, which was completed in August 2004, features 34 smart classrooms, two lecture halls, a computer lab, and numerous offices.
“University Hall has brought UIS into the 21st century with its learning technology. It is changing the very nature of our campus with its technology, its location and its creation of a gathering area,” says UIS Chancellor Richard Ringeisen.
University Hall houses several academic programs and student services. The new building helps form a new campus quadrangle, which university officials hope will develop into a social and collegial atmosphere.
Smart workstations enhance learning
All classrooms in University Hall are equipped with special faculty workstations to enhance the teaching experience, which provides faculty and students with more teaching and learning options than ever before. “Although smart classrooms have been a part of the UIS campus for a few years, smart workstations are a new concept,” says James Grubbs, Ph.D., chair of UIS’ Academic Technology Committee.
These stations each include desktop computers with wireless UIS network access, a DVD player and recorder, and VCR. Other technology enhanced equipment includes document scanners, smart white boards, plasma screens with ceiling-mounted projectors, projector screens, A/V amplifiers and switchers, and ceiling-mounted speakers.
“These new technology changes have definitely affected my learning in a positive way. The instructors are able to bring up PowerPoint presentations, different Web sites, and various documents on the project screen, which makes for more interesting lectures. It’s also much easier for students to do better presentations with the new technology available,” says Melanie Cain, a recent UIS graduate.
Students can also connect with other resources that may not be available in other venues. By connecting to the campus network and satellite system through the classroom’s A/V amplifier system, students are exposed to foreign programming, distance learning, world news and current events.
Lighting geared to energy saving
The technology and electrical design Hanson used in University Hall also helped shed new light in the building’s classrooms and offices. “All classrooms employ indirect lighting technology with dimming capabilities so students are no longer left in the dark while taking lecture notes,” says Tom Rechner, AIA, Hanson’s senior architect and project manager for the University Hall project.
“The classroom lighting systems are also equipped with motion detectors. When a person enters the room, the lights will turn on automatically. If there is no movement in the room for a certain period of time, the lights automatically turn off—an energy saving feature.”
“University Hall is a great addition to the UIS campus. It’s a beautiful building with some wonderful resources inside, especially the technology aspects. It’s really beneficial that the instructors and students have all these technological resources to use in the classroom environment,” says Cain.
These new technologies bring new classes and learning styles to the campus that should benefit the UIS community for many years to come.
For more information, contact Tom Rechner at (217) 747-9322 or trechner@hanson-inc.com.
|
