The advanced computer lab for the Computer Science program was discussed being moved from the Hardy House basement apartment, on the corner of Randolph and Beech streets, to Coyner Hall during the summer of 2016.
This has been postponed until at least the summer of 2017 after renovations to Coyner Hall have been made, according to Matthew McWilliams, the director of Communications & Media Relations.
“There are many moving parts when a university invests in a new building (or other construction), and many factors that contribute to the construction schedule. Some of these include different funding sources, requests for proposals from building contractors, working with architects and a host of other factors,” stated McWilliams.
According to Louise Waller, the executive director of Campus Planning, Construction and the Longwood Real Estate Foundation, the renovations to Coyner include “a new roof, heating, air conditioning and ventilation system, new ceiling tiles and light fixtures.”
Similar to the growth experienced by the computer science department, other departments have experienced an increase in personnel requiring more space.
Two offices in Stevens Hall are currently being allocated for the use of 12 full-time lecturers of the English and Modern Languages department, who don’t have their own offices, stated Dr. Wade Edwards, department chair of the English and Modern Languages department.
“Stevens 103 has five full-time faculty in that one room… And then in room 107, they actually have room for, I think, 10 or 11 cubicles (for housing lecturers) in room 107,” said Edwards.
In addition to the English and Modern Languages department, there is one biology professor and one environmental science professor in a room connected to Stevens 103, which used to be a storage closet, according to Dr. Mark Fink, the department chair of Biology and Environmental Sciences.
“The biology and environmental science program has grown quite a bit, so we’re running out of space…We have a laboratory over there (in Stevens Hall) now, and we’ve had to have more office space because there are a number of faculty. And so we have two of our lecturers sharing a space with many of those English and Modern Language people, which is not ideal, but it’s what we were allowed to have for now,” said Fink.
Aside from these departments, the Liberal Studies program was also set to move to Coyner after the renovations, as stated by Dr. Gena Southall, the director of the Liberal Studies program.
Louise Waller, the executive director of Campus Planning, Construction and the Longwood Real Estate Foundation, stated that funding is anticipated to be available to allocate for the renovations in Coyner during the fiscal year of 2017 after June 30 of that year.
In the current state of things, the temporary offices cause a problem for the lecturers and Liberal Studies, according to Edwards, Fink and Southall.
“There’s no privacy, so if I wanted to have a conversation with a student who was struggling in my class or had a personal issue they wanted to bring up with me, it couldn’t happen in that room necessarily… if you go there to work or to grade, you can’t expect it to be quiet,” explained Edwards.
According to Edwards, the physical conditions of the space are also not ideal.
“It’s just a room that was not renovated when the nursing rooms were renovated, and so there’s no ceiling. All the ductwork is hanging out, you know, the lights and the wires… is all visible. So, aside from just the sort of professional image, there’s also that to consider, just the aesthetic edge to think about. It’s not necessarily the most inviting place to go,” explained Edwards.
Fink believes the main problem associated with the lack of office space seems to be the recent growth on campus.
“Some of those larger departments are just really finding a hard time getting enough space as campus grows – growing pains, I guess,” stated Fink.
The Office of Space Planning acknowledges this issue as Waller explained the probability of more buildings in the near future.
“Currently, space on campus is very tight for many departments. We are working hard to move projects forward to assist departments with their space needs… In the interim, the Office of Space Planning has been actively seeking space to meet the various near-term space needs for many Longwood organizations,” stated Waller.
Until then, Space Planning has continued to attempt in assisting departments to find more available space and until Coyner can be renovated, the affected departments will just have to make do.
“We’re not miserable in here. We’re fine, we’ll figure it out; that’s what professionals do,” said Southall, “but more space as we were told we would have is certainly how we had envisioned running our office.”
