Guilfordians attending an open house Aug. 19 learned that the renovation and redesign of the Leak Room in Duke Memorial Hall will help extend the College’s value-based education well beyond its physical footprint and increase learning retention rates.
The College’s largest capacity classroom, located on the west side of the historic classroom building, received a total refresh at a cost of $650,000 covered by a combination of federal funding and private philanthropy. The project was almost two years in design and construction phases.
“We’re here because of partnerships on and off campus and real perseverance on part of quite a number of people,” Provost Maria Rosales told the open house attendees.
Students will use the technology-driven classroom for the first time Wednesday when two sections of an Ethical Leadership course for first years meets there on the first day of the fall semester.
Michael Dutch, Seth & Hazel Macon Professor of Business Management and Director of the MBA Program, notes that remote learners, including students in the College’s master’s programs, will now be “truly in the room with us” from anywhere in the world.
Design of the Room was Pedagogy- and Faculty-driven
From its static design dating to the 1960s, the Leak Room was transformed with:
- New flexibility within tiered seating that is now moveable and height adjustable in six zones, each with its own display panel supporting group activities.
- Learning technologies supporting both front and rear presentation and enabling simultaneous display from each of the zoned panels.
- High quality sound and imaging, with teleconferencing and lecture capture capabilities.
In the redesign, there are 56 seats at 12 tables, a total of eight large video screens and a new center aisle enhancing interaction.
Studies show that active learning with technology helps students retain 70% or more of the content provided, which is much higher than for lectures or other modes of delivery.
Michael was one of several faculty members speaking at the open house, along with President Kyle Farmbry, Vice President for Advancement & Alumni Relations LaDaniel “Danny” Gatling II.
“What alumni remember about their Guilford experience is the interaction with faculty and with fellow students,” Michael says. “This room facilitates that at an entirely new level.”
Suzanne Bartels, Director of Hege Library and Learning Technologies, points out that the design was pedagogy- and faculty-driven. “It’s all about teaching and learning. They (faculty) had a major voice in this project.”
Federal and Foundation Grants and Philanthropy Covered Cost
The Leak Room project was funded by grants from the Cannon Foundation and Edward M. Armfield Sr. Foundation and a portion of a $2.2 million Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) Title III grant the College received from the U.S. Department of Education in 2020.
“Bringing potential donors into this space, to show what an investment in Guilford can accomplish, will be inspiring,” Danny says.
The Title III grant was awarded over a five-year period to address foundational capacity-building priorities related to enrollment, retention and degree completion. It was the single-largest non-endowment grant in the College’s history.
The grant supported enhancements to the Teaching, Learning and Research Collaboratory that was established as an experimental learning space in Hege Academic Commons in 2016.
In addition, the grant is providing funds for Hege Commons Ground, slated for completion by spring 2025, that will be a complementary student-centered space on the ground level of the building as a 24/7-access student learning environment that promotes collaboration, making, creation and innovation.
Now, on With the Learning
As for the Leak Room, the outcome is a technology-enriched, active and collaborative learning environment, transformed from past limitations to freedom for innovation through multiple new flexible features.
“After all the work between the College and many partners as well as colleagues throughout campus over the past few years, now we’re on to all the learning that will happen here and in remote locations far from Guilford,” Kyle says.