Six newly updated classrooms are now available in Vartan Gregorian Quad Building A for classes, conferences and seminars.
The project, completed over the summer, involved converting an open space into six distinct rooms and updating them technologically and decoratively, said Julie Haworth, director of conference services. The classrooms used to be a large lounge space that was underused, she added.
"The need for classroom space became well known, so this helped to answer that need," she said.
Facilities Management oversaw the project, which had been "seriously" discussed since last winter and was completed in late August, she said. The space was designed by an architect who was "very cognizant of student flow, classroom usage, technology and light."
The rooms all have tables and chairs on wheels, so the setup can be easily rearranged. They each have large windows that create an open feel. There are also windows over the doors to the hallway, so that natural light can reach to the interior.
Haworth praised the design of the rooms, calling it "simple and clean." Also, thanks to the mobile furniture, she added, they're "very flexible."
Media technology has been ordered for three of the rooms, but has not yet been installed because of delivery delays, Haworth said. One room is slated to have "high-end video-conferencing capabilities."
So far, the space has mainly been used for "staff-related meetings," Haworth said, because few students know about it. There are also a few classes held in the rooms, including Africana Studies and anthropology classes, she said.
Haworth said usage has been increasing as more people have become aware of the classrooms. The Scheduling Office is working on a "marketing campaign" to advertise the rooms, she said. The office will also be hosting presentations for various academic and administrative departments to encourage usage, she added. The classrooms can be booked through the Scheduling Office by staff and students.
