Students now have a chance to put their own mark on the Clough Undergraduate Learning Center (CULC) that is currently under construction. Students can vote for their favorite nickname for the building by clicking on the link when logging in to T-Square.
“We want students to feel a sense of ownership and we want them to recognize that this is a different building on campus. We thought it would be great to have the students name the building,” said the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dana Hartley.
Hartley stressed that it is important for students to feel like they have an input on the building that is designed around the needs of the student.
She also mentioned that because almost every other building on campus is named after a significant donor, it would be nice for students to leave their own mark on campus by choosing their own name for the new building. She hopes that the nicknaming process will create a presence and personality for the building on campus.
Some of the options on the survey site included: The Hive, The Node, The Interface, The Forum and The Port.
In a description of the building’s uses, Hartley said, “All student-based academic services will be right there and it is meant to be an inspiring, comfortable place to be.”
Because the building was designed with the use of the student body in mind, there are several unique aspects to the building that aim to make the space a more comfortable and inviting area with spaces that hope to create an optimal work and learning environment.
In addition to featuring the new labs for the science departments, the building will host a large space dedicated to one-on-one tutoring.
The CULC will also have several large areas that were designed to facilitate group work and group studying—it will resemble the current group areas in the west wing of the library. There will also be several break-out rooms that students can reserve for group work.
The building will also house services that aim to make students’ lives easier, including a concierge that is a trained academic advisor, a new home for the OIT help center, a Starbucks that is open from 7 a.m. to midnight and a communication center that offers tutoring in writing.
There are other nuances that the building boasts that aim to make students’ lives easier like a clear signage system that will help students find their way through the building quickly and efficiently. The building will also be open during game days to facilitate tailgaters.
The Department of Undergraduate Studies is working on creating a website that will feature clearly labeled floorplans so that students can preview the layout of the CULC.
Hartley hopes that the website and nickname voting will garner interest for the building that is slated to for completion in the fall of 2011. The official groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Monday, April 5 and students can view the floorplans on Skiles next week.