Plans for the new science and technology building began in 2007. It will be taking the place of Southeastern Hall and is expected to be finished 17 months after deomlition of the original hall is completed.
The Lion’s Roar / Courtesy of Facility Planning

The university has been chosen by the state to host the new science and technology facility. The building will be designed specifically to help meet the needs of the school’s fast growing computer science, occupational safety and engineering technology programs.

Planning for the building began in 2007. It will be built on the corner of North Oak and Dakota Streets where Southeastern Hall currently resides. The building is planned to take the place of the 70 year-old hall. Money for the project was supplied entirely through state Capital Outlay funds.

The science and technology building focuses mainly on the two recently established programs, occupational safety and engineering technology, in order to improve them and get their students real-world ready. The building will also be providing more space for these programs in addition to the growing number of students enrolled in computer science. 

“About ten years ago was when it was first proposed,” said Dean of the College of Science and Technology Daniel McCarthy. “If you ever went to Anzalone Hall, it’s a mess. The facility is really not suitable for moving forward, but since then we started two new programs: engineering technology and occupational safety. They have no room, and computer science has pretty much doubled. We just have no place to put the students. Not only does it need renovated space, but we also have two new programs that are technology programs. There’s no room for them.”

The academic building was specifically built for programs involving computer science, industrial engineering and engineering technology. This included meeting with the departments and professors to establish the essential needs required in order to have these programs progress further. The facility includes engineering technology, electronics, resource materials testing, robotics and research labs.

“The most specific thing is on the first floor,” said Director of Facility Planning Kenneth Howe. “There will be large specialty labs, not just a computer lab or even a chemistry lab, but these will have specific types of equipment for robotics and material testing. We will have a room where they pour and cure concrete because everyday concrete grows stronger, and it can be break tested. Those are the kind of specific things for these programs.”

The building’s specifically designed technology labs will also help give experience with specific machinery connected to their intended careers.

“The best thing is they [students] will be trained in the state of the art type stuff,” said McCarthy. “When they look for jobs, they will say, ‘Oh I did that at school.’ They will already be familiar with these things. It will be an easy transition in the work place. Technology is always changing and moving forward, and you can’t really be in these facilities that are 40 years old. What happened 40 years ago is way different from what is happening now.”

In addition to helping certain programs at the university progress, the building is expected to draw in prospective students and faculty members.

“We believe it [the building] will enhance our university and in specific the particular college the building is for,” said Howe. “One thing it’s going to do for the university as a whole is it’s really going to help that corner of campus. There are so many people that come from I-12 in that direction. I would guess anywhere from 30 to 50 percent of people come from that direction. Instead of those old 1932 dorms, they are going to see a new state of the art facility, which I think is going to excite not only present students, but also future students.”

The contracts for the 24.4 million dollar project were signed and demolition of Southeastern Hall will begin within 30 to 45 days, estimated to take place in late October or early November. Once the construction begins, it will take 17 months to finish and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2017.

“We are very excited and grateful to our legislatures and who’ve worked with us to get state funding,” said Howe. “It’s a much anticipated and needed facility, and we are excited to get it started.”