Jones Science Center to get facelift
Jones Science Center, as we know it today, may not be so recognizable in 10 years’ time. Concordia is beginning the long process of majorly renovating and modernizing Jones Science Center in order to better facilitate student learning.
According to Dr. Mark Krejci, provost and dean of the college, the Board of Regents has recently approved a design phase for the building, and Jones is currently under observation by an architectural firm.
The award-winning architecture and engineering company Einhorn Yaffe Prescott, or EYP, recently analyzed Jones’ facilities to make recommendations for renovations. Krejci explained that from now until May, EYP will continue to analyze Jones’ facilities and suggest designs based upon square-footage, teaching purposes and student needs.
The idea of renovating Jones began five years ago when Krejci was working as a chair in a department in Ivers. With advancements in science, technology and teaching, the facilities of Jones needed to be updated. Krejci reported this idea to the Board of Regents and they approved the idea for Concordia to consider new designs for Jones.
Krejci said the EYP architects who analyzed Jones have been paying special attention to the building’s history.
“The architects said the 1960-design was cutting edge for the time,” Krejci said.
That was almost 50 years ago. Krejci explained the way science is taught today is very different, and the lab and lecture space of Jones is simply outdated. Krejci pointed out the example of the desks in Jones’ lecture halls that are drilled to the floor with a small counter space attached.
“How does that fit students who want to use books and their laptop?” Krejci said.
Faculty has been very involved in the design idea process, Krejci said. It is the professors who best know the needs of their programs and the needs of the students.
A critical factor in the renovation process is controlling costs and finding funding for this substantial undertaking. Krejci cited examples of fellow Lutheran colleges like Luther College and St. Olaf College, which both have recently constructed new science facilities. Luther College’s new facility was finished at a cost of $35 milliom while St. Olaf’s was completed at an astounding $80 million, Krejci said.
Clearly, renovating Jones will take a great deal of donations and fundraising.
Students are excited about the future renovations of Jones, even though they will be long graduated before the new facility is finished.
Sophomore Katie Zetah and junior Peace Eneh both agree that Jones needs to be updated to better serve students.
Eneh, a biology major and chemistry minor, explained why she believes the science labs need to be remodeled.
“I think we have labs that work, but they aren’t perfect. The older facilities make labs take longer,” Enuh said.
With the popularity of science at Concordia, getting into science classes and labs when limited space is available is an issue for students.
Zetah explained that during registration, a science class she needed was filled within five minutes. If labs and lectures could be updated to include more square footage, classes could hold more students, she said.
According to Krejci, if the Board of Regents approves the design ideas of EYP in May, the next step will involve creating a floor plan design for the new Jones Science Center.
