The new Main Classroom Building
Transforming teaching and learning at Illinois Wesleyan
The new Main Classroom Building
Academics are at the heart of Illinois Wesleyan. For more than 55 years, Shaw Hall has served as the University’s primary classroom building. When it was opened it underscored the importance of academic excellence at Illinois Wesleyan. It is now time to bring a new academic center to the University. The new Main Classroom Building has been designed to reflect the way teaching and learning have changed since Shaw Hall opened. It will be a true learning center with innovative classrooms, study areas, faculty offices and gathering places that will help to transform the lives of our students for generations to come. And importantly, this innovative new Main Classroom Artist’s rendering of the northeast elevation from the Center for Liberal Arts.
Building will help us to attract the next generation of talented students and inspiring faculty to the University.
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The Need In the decades since Shaw Hall opened, our enrollment has grown and with it the need for new classroom space, but even more importantly the changes in teaching and learning call for dramatically different classroom buildings. The traditional lecture-driven teaching model has evolved into a more student-centered paradigm. Students still learn by listening, but the importance of classroom discussions, collaborative
“Teaching and learning today is much different than it was in 1954 when Shaw Hall was opened.
Small class sizes, group discussions and collaborative learning call for a new kind of classroom building, one which has the kind of classrooms for today’s teaching methods and provides spaces for students to gather outside of class and throughout the day to study and work together collaboratively.” Richard F. Wilson 2]
President Above: Second floor piano-shaped classroom overlooking northeast plaza.
learning,
project
work
and
instructional
technologies call for a different kind of academic building, one in which learning takes place inside and outside of the classroom. Unlike Shaw Hall where students come strictly to attend class, this new Main Classroom Building will be a learning center before, during and after class hours. In this new academic building classrooms have been designed for smaller class sizes, greater flexibility in how classrooms are utilized and with the latest in emerging instructional technologies. And, the building will incorporate space for study groups and project work that take place outside the classroom and be inviting to students throughout the day.
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Artist’s rendering of the southwest elevation from the Eckley Quadrangle.
The Main Classroom Building will anchor
The Building
the north end of the Eckley Quadrangle, sitting on the site that is now occupied by Sheean Library. The exterior will borrow from the style of The Ames Library and the classic buildings
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located on the quad. — continues on page 7
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— continued from page 5
The 48,700 square foot facility will include 16 technology-rich classrooms, a large case study classroom/auditorium, a studio classroom that will serve as a teaching and technology laboratory, and two technology-rich seminar rooms. In addition, there will be seven group study rooms, four open study areas, an educational studies curriculum lab, an economics research lab for student projects, two conference rooms and 24 faculty offices for the departments of Business and Economics on the third level. 6]
Above: Corridors outside of the first floor Studio Classroom (top) and one of seven Group Study Rooms.
Above: Group Study Area with booth seating, on the first floor.
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Above: First floor Case Room. Opposite page: Student Economics Research Lab (top) and Seminar Room overlooking the Eckley Quadrangle. 8]
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Commencement Plaza The Main Classroom Building’s south face will serve as the backdrop for commencement each May. As a result, the design incorporates a commencement plaza through which students will pass each day as they enter the building. The northeast entrance to the building will be showcased with a smaller plaza that will serve as an inviting gathering place and venue for small events.
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Classrooms and Offices
“I’m certain that many more students will take advantage The Main Classroom Building will
of faculty office hours, once
not only change the teaching and learning environment,
our offices are located in the
but also will provide much needed additional faculty office
same building as their classrooms.
space. Locating faculty offices in the classroom building
This proximity will also be a
will strengthen the relationships between students and their
big benefit to the advising process.�
teachers, provide greater opportunities for collaboration and enhance access to faculty advisers.
Rob Kearney Chair of Business Administration
Timeline Construction is planned to start the summer of 2011 and be completed in the fall of 2012. Once completed, most instruction now taking place in Shaw Hall 12 ]
will be relocated to the Main Classroom Building.
Above and opposite page: Architectural renderings depicting the western ground elevation and an overhead view. [ 13
second floor
third floor
Floor Plans Offices
Classrooms
Work Space and Support Core (Restrooms, Electrical, etc.)
first floor
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lower level
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The new Main Classroom Building
Named Gift Opportunities Commencement Plaza. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2.0 million There are numerous named gift opportunities available as part of the funding plan for the Main Classroom Building. Adjacent is an outline of opportunities that are available.
Case Room (1st floor). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $500,000 North East Quad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $500,000 Studio Classroom (1st floor) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $500,000 Seminar Room (2nd floor). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $500,000 Seminar Room (3rd floor). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $500,000 Ed Studies Curriculum Lab (lower level). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250,000 Classroom (2nd floor piano-shaped room). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250,000 Classroom (2nd floor SW corner). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250,000 Classrooms (9 on the 1st and 2nd floors). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100,000 each Classrooms (5 on lower level). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $50,000 each Open Study Area (1st and 2nd floors). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $50,000 each Economics Student Research Lab (3rd floor) . . . . . . . . . . . . $50,000 Conference Rooms (2 on 3rd floor). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35,000 each Open Study Area (lower level). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25,000 Group Study Room (7 total on 1st, 2nd, 3rd, floors). . . . . . . . $25,000 each Group Study Area w/ Booth Seating (1st floor). . . . . . . . . . $25,000 Faculty Offices (24). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15,000 each
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The Advancement Office • Illinois Wesleyan University • PO Box 2900 • Bloomington, Illinois 61701 309-556-3091 • 800-689-9743 • advancement@iwu.edu