PELLA — Central College will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of its future education and psychology building Friday, April 18, at 11 a.m. in Cox-Snow Recital Hall. The event is free and open to the public.
The 57,748 gross square foot structure, costing more than $18 million and scheduled for completion in the fall of 2009, will feature energy conservation and environmental responsibility. The three-story building will provide new classroom, office and instructional space for the education and psychology departments, two of Central’s largest and most distinguished academic areas, along with the community-based learning department.
Currently, almost 250 students are enrolled in the teacher preparation program at Central, and Geisler Library, currently housing the education department, is not big enough to fit the needs of all students. The new building will give education students expanded curricular offerings and make unique program requirements more achievable. The move to the new building will also help Central’s psychology department, as growing demands for new technology opportunities in their current building, Jordan Hall, are not feasible. The program, from which 60 percent attain at least a master’s degree and 15 percent of graduates go on to earn a doctorate or equivalent terminal degree, will now be able to better qualify students with more opportunities in the field.
The collaboration across the two departments, with similar priorities and areas of expertise, will allow for easier coordination of programs, international education experiences, service-learning projects and experiential learning opportunities. Student-faculty research collaboration will also be easier with the new combined building set-up. The community-based learning department, with 250 students per semester serving at more than 60 community sites, will be able to work more closely with the two departments that use the service-learning pedagogy more than any other on campus.
“Central is promoting teamwork across disciplines,” said David Roe, president. “We value the liberal arts education and having the education and psychology departments, along with community-based learning, together in one building, puts Central is a perfect position to accomplish our goals. Along with that, the Vermeer Science Center, housing mathematics, science and computer science is right across the street. We hope this will facilitate larger members of Central graduates going into the teaching of math and science, one of our nation’s greatest secondary education needs.”
Because Central, a leader in environmental stewardship in Iowa and the Midwest, strives to create an environmentally-friendly community with a strong emphasis on sustainability, the new building is designed with a “green” outlook. In keeping with Central’s commitment to following Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines for all new campus construction, the college hopes to receive a platinum LEED rating with the new education and psychology building. Central received Iowa’s first LEED rating by the U.S. Green Building Council, earning a silver medal in 2003 for the renovation of the Vermeer Science Center. In 2004, the residential hall at 1203 Independence, known on campus as the “Pods,” was awarded a gold LEED rating, the first gold rating for a residential building in Iowa.
Central’s development office is actively pursuing gifts for the project. Contact the development office at 800-447-0287 to find out more about how your gift can make a difference.
