Construction projects near completion

Despite the detours and delays caused by construction, a number of campus projects are reaching completion and may be finished early.

Nolan Truman, manager of construction services at SUU, said renovation for Old Main will be finished before its scheduled date of completion.

"Construction has gone fairly smooth, and Old Main is quite a bit ahead of schedule," said Truman.

Groundbreaking for the Emma Eccles Jones Teacher Education Building and Old Main, which will house additional education classrooms and offices, took place May 5, 2006.

Truman said both Old Main and the Teacher Education Building will be ready for students by spring semester.

"Right now Old Main is getting fixtures, new woodwork and ceiling tiles," Truman said.

The Teacher Education Building will have state-of-the-art technology, including two computer labs, he said.

The first and second floors of the Teacher Education Building will house classrooms, labs, teacher stations and reading rooms, and the third floor will accommodate faculty and staff offices, and the Carter Carillon operations room, he said.

Some other features Truman said the Teacher Education Building will have are stained glass windows in the stairwells, windows in most classrooms, and skylights.

"I am so excited for the building," said Lindsey Johnson, a junior elementary education major from Salt Lake City.

Johnson said the primary irritation with the lack of a Teacher Education Building is the inconvenience until the new building is complete.

"Our (education students) are spread everywhere on campus," Johnson said. "We will finally get a whole area to ourselves. Any annoyance the construction may have caused, it outweighs the fact that we get a new building."

Chris McGahan, a junior computer science major from Cedar City, said because the Beverley Taylor Sorenson College of Education &Human Development does not have a place to meet, students use the labs in the Electronic Learning Center.

"The new building will free up an entire lab in the ELC," McGahan said. "It's more space for students."

Regardless of the delays, Johnson said she is still eager to finish.

Jennifer Burt, SUU Communications Director at SUU, said it is essential to have these buildings because of the space they provide.

"One in four SUU students graduate in education, so more room is important," Burt said.

McGahan said that because of construction, students this summer have had to change their regular route around campus.

"When we were giving tours for orientation, it was sometimes difficult," McGahan said, who, along with Johnson, was an orientation leader.

Johnson said the construction was not much a problem for her.

"It's a smaller campus anyways," she said.

David Tanner, Facilities Management director, said during the summer students had to use an alternate route in some areas on campus.

The alternate routes were seen on signs posted around campus.

Once new routes do open up, Tanner said students will notice wider sidewalks.

"We are trying to increase the capabilities for our students," he said.

The Carter Carillon, the name announced June 14, is also scheduled to be completed before spring semester. The tower will be 76-feet tall.

"The bell tower will be an icon into the future," said SUU President Michael T. Benson.

Benson said the Teacher Education Building, Old Main and the Carter Carillon will be "incredible additions to campus."