Math Science COIL reaches substantial completion
CHADRON – In early June, Chadron State College’s Math Science Center of Innovative Learning (COIL) reached substantial completion status. This means the project, or a portion of it, is fit for its intended use and the owner can occupy and use the property, according to Harry Mowry, assistant to the Vice President for Administration and Finance.
The new furniture arrived last week and is in the process of being assembled and distributed throughout the building. The new furniture looks great and will create a wonderful learning environment. The bid has been accepted to replace the South parking lot and that work will begin soon.
CSC President Randy Rhine said he is excited about the upcoming opening of the new and renovated structure.
“It will provide CSC faculty with a wonderful new facility to enhance their abilities to continue providing students with the best education in Math and Science in the region,” Rhine said.
Design and development documents were approved for the Math Science renovation and construction and the facility’s new name was approved by the Nebraska State College System Board of Trustees in June 2020. A groundbreaking ceremony for the $32 million facility took place in September 2020.
The gross anatomy lab has four state-of-the-art downdraft tables each with a surgical light camera connected for display on a mobile screen in the lab so instructors or students can share their work with others in the class.
The building includes four standard classrooms, one active learning classroom with smart screens and cameras, 15 labs, 25 offices, two conference rooms, a room for nursing mothers, two glass-enclosed testing rooms, and an 80-seat lecture hall.
Specialty features include the Dr. Lois Veath Planetarium, the High Plains Herbarium, and the Eleanor Barbour Cook museum.
Mowry said plans are for scientific equipment to be installed in July. Landscaping is 95 percent complete, with remaining work to be completed later in June and July, depending on weather conditions. The building will be dedicated in September in conjunction with the Nebraska State College System Board of Trustees meeting on campus.
Furniture for classrooms and offices from AOI in Omaha arrived last week and five AOI staff will remain on campus until June 24 assembling and distributing furniture throughout the building, Mowry said.
Dr. Mary Keithly, assistant professor in Physical and Life Sciences, Dr. Rachelle Rider, assistant professor in Physical and Life Sciences, and Dr. Rob Stack, professor in Mathematical Sciences, are faculty who served on the furniture selection committee in consultation with BVH interior designers Katherine Pickering and Jackie Bacon and architect Garrett Peterson
“They provided us with initial plans and ideas for what the spaces would look like. We then gave them feedback on how our students actually use the spaces. We focused on finding furniture that was comfortable, functional, and durable. Our students spend a great deal of time studying together and working with faculty. So, we wanted to have spaces that would fit those needs,” Keithly said.
The faculty traveled to Denver with BVH representatives to look at suggestions by BVH including a tour of facilities at Colorado State University in Fort Collins to see how their spaces were arranged.
Stack said being able to see the showroom in Denver, as well as furniture at CSU, helped the committee members see how various pieces were being used in a collegiate setting.
In addition to furnishings arriving and substantial completion being announced, faculty have been learning how to use technology in the new building.
Dr. Tawny Tibbitts, assistant professor in Physical and Life Sciences, said based on training she has received so far, the facilities are beyond what she has experienced on any other campus.
“We have new technology that will give online students a more immersed feeling in courses, audio capabilities to assist those with hearing constraints, lab facilities that will give our students a competitive edge in their career searches after graduation, and museum and planetarium spaces that will blow your mind,” Tibbitts said. “It will be great to see students in the building, engaged in their courses and working together in our active learning corridors. It will truly be an incredible experience opening up this fall.”
Dr. Mike Leite, professor in Physical and Life Sciences, said the new building will be a game-changer for the college.
“Not just for science programs, but for everyone who wants to experience the benefits of innovative learning. The building itself is a message: Science is engaging, science is relevant, and science can provide meaningful careers for our students. The spaces we will have to work in are unprecedented in the college’s history. They will be welcoming and functional for students and visitors,” Leite said.
Tibbits will manage the planetarium which features a 24-foot diameter Spitz projection dome, LED cove lighting, a 600-watt sound system, and a state-of-the-art Digistar7 digital fulldome projection system with interactive software for immersive teaching, learning, and infotainment, according to JT Towne, Sales Director with Digistar.
The D7 features multi-curricular datasets for teaching astronomy, earth science, and other topics. Additionally, the system comes with a library of fulldome movies, a Cloud Library of shared shows and 3D models, Domecasting, and 3D and remote diagnostics capability, according to Towne. Fulldome visuals are projected by a laser digital cinema projector with a custom fisheye lens that delivers resolution of about 5 million pixels.
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Category: Campus News