New School of Business building showcases upgraded educational technology
The new business building, which opened after fall break, features a plethora of new technology and amenities.
Courtesy of Madison Penrose
The newest addition to Lee University’s campus is getting a revamp in its technological features to forward its students’ successes.
Monday, Oct. 16., was the business students' first day on the southern end of campus in their new School of Business building.
Assistant Vice President for Operations Cole Strong said that the design team for this project designed this building with the students' success in mind. Strong said the different forms of technology inside its doors are for the growth of the students and the department.
“What we looked to do when we renovated the space was to find ways to put the necessary technology in there that would really give our students an advantage in the classroom,” Strong said. “We wanted to give the students the technology they needed in order to be successful as well as their program to continue to grow.”
The School of Business includes four standard classrooms, two collaborative classrooms, three conferences spaces and a computer lab dedicated to certain computer-oriented business classes. Some of those classes will include LED touchscreen monitors to replace the traditional projector and white board-style class.
“Some of our spaces offer different things, like classrooms which allow groups to sit together, plug in and display whatever it is they're working on on the screen right there in front of them. … At the same time, the teacher can take control of those displays and show things to the class without a lot of time plugging and unplugging devices,” Strong said. “In addition to the advancement of the LED monitors in some classrooms, there is a technology lab for CIS [Computer Informations Systems] dedicated to them that is designed to the hardware side of computer informations.”
These advancments, including a real-time LED ticker tape with live stock updates in the lobby, have given students and faculty alike the ambition to live up to the academic standards their new facility holds for them.
Dean of the School of Business Dewayne Thompson said he believes that this new facility has given new life and persuasion to the business community as a whole.
“I am convinced that our faculty already teach with passion and already teach with excellence, but the reality is that you are impacted by your surroundings, maybe even subconsciously—you aren’t even aware of it,” Thompson said. “Students are saying that this absolutely raises the bar. It calls students to rise to the challenge, so with these wonderful facilities, we need to try to perform our excellence. Students come in with contagious enthusiasm to study and to learn, and I think the facility aids in that growth.”
Gabriel Rayburn, a senior business management major, said she feels like the new building makes her want to act professionally every day when she comes into class. Rayburn said she felt all the new advancements made engaging in class significantly easier.
“The environment is way better for learning. I’ve heard from multiple students and professors that the new building has really made them want to act and see themselves as more professional. It’s more of a motivator; it makes you want to try a lot harder. It’s a better environment for excelling,” Rayburn said. “The technology is pretty wild. … It’s so much easier to see what’s going on now in many of my classes, and it’s so much easier to be engaged.”
Elizabeth Sanders, a senior business management major, is another student who said she sees the benefits of the new move and the many technological amenities. Sanders said she feels as though the new business school is more established now due to having its own place.
“I think that, above all, the new technology boosts morale and ambition for students because it’s nice to walk into a building that makes you feel like what you are studying is important,” Sanders said.
Sanders said she believes the new school's independence has given it a sense of closure and room for more.
“I think the move was necessary because we didn’t feel like we had our own department before,” Sanders said. “But now, being our own building, it feels like we are growing and we are bound for success.”
