With the prospect of 20,000 students at Binghamton University by 2020, additional classrooms must be constructed to fill the increased demand.
In fall of 2011, officials began a project to construct and renovate over two dozen new classrooms in Old Dickinson, the University Downtown Center, Student Wing and Glenn G. Bartle Library as well as to bring new technologies to the classrooms. The project is funded by a $140 million grant from the NYSUNY 2020 Challenge Grant Program, a state initiative to strengthen academic development for SUNY schools.
Upgrades include the Learning Studio, a classroom in the Library with special walls that allow students and teachers to write and erase on them. The Learning Studio also has movable chairs, couches and tables to create a more interactive learning environment.
According to Donald Nieman, executive vice president for Academic Affairs and Provost, the University also encouraged the development of graduate programs.
“Our major focus is on professionally-oriented masters,” Nieman said. “Graduate students still need classrooms, so the classroom issue is an important one.”
Since 2011, 10 classrooms — about 463 more seats — have been added to the Downtown Center and there are plans to add 12 more by next fall. Student Wing construction is planned to start January 2015, with individual floors being completed over the next year and a half.
By 2016, the University administration plans to have 158 classrooms — approximately 1,500 more seats than were available in 2011.
Student services that were previously located in the Student Wing, such as Financial Aid and the Registrar, have moved into renovated areas of Old Dickinson and Admissions has transferred to the renovated Admissions Center.
According to Nieman, figuring out where to put classrooms while the 20 in Student Wing are closed was the most difficult task.
“It’s kind of like a Rubik’s cube: You move this tile and then you move that tile,” Nieman said. “It takes time; these projects don’t happen overnight.”
In addition to seven new classrooms being added to the Library Tower, the length of an academic day will be extended so that the amount of classes offered each semester is not affected by the lack of space.
To ensure that students’ schedules don’t conflict because of the changes, core classes, or non-major specific classes will run until 4:30 p.m. instead of 2:10 p.m. These classes that were previously taught in the Student Wing will be held in the Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center and renovated buildings in Old Dickinson.
Ben Dobkin, a sophomore majoring in industrial systems engineering, said he isn’t looking forward to the short-term effects of the construction plans.
“I think this will negatively affect my schedule because some of my classes may only be offered early in the morning,” Dobkin said. “If I must wake up early, I’d like to finish early.”
Correction — A previous version of this story stated that the University will have 158 additional classrooms by 2016. It has since been corrected to reflect that the University will have a total of 158 classrooms by 2016.