RESEARCH ISSUE
UNCG Breaks Ground on New ‘Green’ School of Education Building
On May 18th, UNCG broke ground for a new, energy efficient, 120,000-square-foot School of Education Building. The new building, which will stand at Spring Garden and Stirling streets next to the Bryan School of Business and Economics, will house five of six departments within the School of Education. Completion is expected by fall 2011.
The $47 million structure will meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council. The sustainable design is expected to save about 35 percent on energy costs. The $47 million budget includes design fees, furniture, and contingencies. This project was fast-tracked by the state as part of a $700 million capital improvements project to stimulate the state’s economy.
View the Ground Breaking Ceromony Slide Show
Economist estimate that for each dollar spent on a construction project, $2.28 is pumped into the state’s economy, and that every $1 million spent on a project results in 36 new jobs. The new School of Education building has the potential to create nearly 1,700 new jobs.
“The state deemed this School of Education building as one of those critical projects that would ultimately help our economy,” Chancellor Linda P. Brady said. “The state also knew it would be cost effective to take advantage of interest rates and building costs that have lowered in recent months.
School of Education teaching and support resources in the new facility will include: a teaching resource center, a mathematics and science institute, a state-of-the-art sign language lab, a multimedia lab, instructional computer labs, an assitive technology lab, a research support center and offices for outreach activities.
The building will also include 19 general use classrooms with capacities of 30, 40, 60, and 70 seats; two larger lecture halls of 200 and 300 seat capacities; and a 100-seat tiered case study classroom. In addition, collaboration spaces, intended to facilitate and encourage student/faculty interaction, will be provided throughout the building. All classrooms and lecture halls will have A/V and data systems installations with teaching stations and presentation systems included in their design.
The new classrooms are critical to the university’s need for teaching space. Student enrollment currently stands at 17,467, up from 17,157 the previous year.
“UNCG has a proud history of being an educational leader in North Carolina and the nation,” said Dale Schunk, dean of the School of Education. “When Erskine Bowles became president of the UNC system of higher education, he made education one of his top priorities. This new building is a testimony to his priority. It clearly shows the importance UNCG places on professional education.”
-Michelle Hines
