With rustic facilities, M&S is ready

In May of 2019 it was announced that the Math Science building, renamed the Math Science Center of Innovative Learning this May, would be receiving a long-awaited renovation. A little over a year later, the beginning stages of construction have started.  

Opening in 1968, the Mathematics and Science building drew attention from all over because of the many innovative programs that resided there. 

Now, that same building is described  in the Design Development Report as having classrooms and laboratories that have become worn and deficient.  The building does not meet contemporary life safety and accessibility standards. Because of these issues, plans for renovating the building began in 2014. 

The renovations on the original building will guarantee continued growth for programs that are already in place and ones that will develop in the future. Old and outdated equipment will be replaced with state-of-the-art technology that will promote a collaborative learning experience that allows students to fully engage in their classes. 

 A new entryway will also be established on the south side of the original building to provide a more accessible and convenient route for students, visitors, and faculty than the one currently in place.  

“If you go over to that building today, there is no logical main entrance to it,” President Randy Rhine said. “It doesn’t say ‘come in here.’ We wanted that entrance to be intuitive.”

Along with the renovation on the original building, a north wing will be added that will connect to the central campus walkway. This wing will house the various science collections that are already on campus and contain modern chemistry, geology and biology labs that are equal to other facilities in the state. Study lounges will also be furnished that will be available for students. 

A ground breaking ceremony for the project will be held on Sept. 11 to commence the start of construction on the building.  

According to the Design Development Report, renovations will cost around  a total $32 million.   

While the building is under construction, the math and science departments have taken up residency in the Birkhiser Complex. Over the course of the summer, proper spaces, including labs, have been created for the faculty and students who regularly use the Math Science building to use through the duration of construction. This move will allow continuity for faculty teaching math and science classes and the students that will be taking them. 

“That was a major project,” Rhine said. “To get that done between June and now and be ready start is pretty phenomenal.”  

 Wendy Waugh, dean of graduate studies and the school of business, mathematics, has played a big part in the transition. She said that faculty have played a major role in making the transition to the Birkhiser Complex smooth. 

 “Faculty have really kicked in,” she said.

 Construction is set to be completed in February of 2022 and classes are expected to begin using the new facility in the fall of 2022.