With the largest construction project in its history,
Eastern Michigan University does not just want to meet
a long-standing need to upgrade its science facilities
for its students and faculty. It wants to become a national
education player in the teaching of the sciences come 2011.
The announcement that the University would spend $100
million to create the Mark Jefferson Science Complex — a
renovation of the existing 182,802-square-foot structure
and a science lab/research space addition of 151,000 square
feet — came at a packed press conference in Welch
Hall Jan. 23.
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SPEAKING SCIENCE: Tamara Greco, head of
EMU's
Department of Biology, addresses the campus crowd
and the media during a Jan. 23 press conference to
announce a $100 million Mark Jefferson Science
Complex. The new facility, expected to open in 2011,
includes renovation of the existing building as well as
the construction of a 151,000-square-foot addition of
science labs and research space. |
"This facility is intended to emerge as a national laboratory
for science education and a regional source for educational
personnel, school districts and science-based organizations
and companies," said EMU President John Fallon. "This facility
responds to the national call for better science instruction
and outcomes."
"We couldn't be more thrilled. We're ecstatic by this
decision," said Tamara Greco, head of EMU's Biology Department. "We're
excited by the opportunities this will bring for us. This
will be an opportunity to bring the sciences together and
soften the boundaries between chemistry, physics and biology."
The new construction would cost approximately $73.3 million,
with renovations costing another $26.7 million. The project
will be primarily funded through the sale of bonds. The
majority of the repayment of the bonds will be funded from
the 4-percent tuition and fee increase approved by the
Board for this purpose in fall 2005, said Janice M. Stroh,
EMU's vice president for business and finance.
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QUANTUM LEAP: This timeline breaks down
each
phase of the $100 million Mark Jefferson Science
Complex, which if approved by the state, would
open in fall 2011. |
The University will have approximately $8 million from
that fund by the end of the year to work with and is looking
at paying back the bonds over a 30-year period, Stroh said.
Now that the Board of Regents has approved the decision
to move forward, the University's next step is to prepare
a use and finance statement, which is required by the state
for construction projects exceeding $1 million. This preparation
will be done over the next three months and will be submitted
to the Regents for their approval in March. Once approved,
the use and finance statement is submitted to the state's
Joint Capital Outlay Subcommittee (JCOS) for its approval,
Stroh said.
"As soon as we receive approval from the state, we'll
go out to an RFP (request for proposal) for an architect.
We don't have details of the project. Once we have
an architect, it will take 47 months to build. We're probably
looking at (opening in) fall 2011."
While exact details of the construction and the type of
equipment that will be housed in the science complex is
not yet known, faculty will have some say in those decisions.
A number of faculty from Mark Jefferson showed up for the
press conference and pondered the possibilities.
"The future is in an interaction of sciences rather than
an isolation of sciences," said Glenn Walker, a professor
of biology. "What we need is more flexible space, equipment
that can be jointly shared. Currently, we have to go to
chemistry and physics (departments) to share these things."
Walker said EMU was "on the vanguard" of faculty-student
interaction with the creation of the Undergraduate Symposium
more than 25 years ago. He said the new science complex
will only expand that model of teaching, research and learning.
"The most important work we do is one-on-one with our
students in research labs," agreed Bob Winning, another
professor of biology. "We have been told that part of the
budget will be utilized as part of equipment purchases."
Money for the project, "whether $200,000 or a million
will have to be set aside for purchasing new equipment," said
Bob Neely, associate provost and assistant vice president
for research. "Clearly, you don't build a new building
and put outdated equipment in it."
Built in 1969 for $8.2 million, classroom instruction
in Mark Jefferson was almost entirely set up with a faculty
member in the front of the room with students facing in
the same direction. Biology labs were equipped with individual
study desks, where students listened to tapes and were
guided through lab exercises. Each faculty member directed
his or her research program and there was limited technology
usage.
That will all change, with classroom settings becoming
more interactive and able to allow small groups of students
to collaborate on projects. In addition, the science curriculum
will become more interdisciplinary, equipment will be upgraded
and computers will become even more of a classroom learning
tool.
"As scientists, we tend to about our next step and out
dreams," Greco said. "This building will allow us to dream."
