Pitt Johnstown Mag Summer 2010 ver4 - Pitt-Johnstown Home Page ...

8
Enhancing the Living-Learning Environment:
Pitt-Johnstown Ushers in New Year
with Significant Campus Upgrades
A ribbon cutting ceremony for University Square was held September
21. Pictured left to right are: Jacob Harper, Dr. Kristen Majocha,
President Spectar, Jacob Shirk, and PJ the Mountain Cat.
The University of Pittsburgh at
Johnstown has just completed phase
one of a three-year, $15-million plan
to upgrade academic facilities. In
addition, $6 million has been invested
over the past three years in
upgrading residential, recreational,
and dining facilities.
All of the projects are in direct
response to needs identified through
Pitt-Johnstown’s strategic planning
process, primarily through the work
of the Facilities, Infrastructure, and
Technology Task Force, which
engaged faculty, staff, students, and
alumni in assessing the most-pressing
needs. In addition to the benefits to
the campus community, the projects
offer far-reaching benefits for the
larger community by contributing
significantly to the area’s economic
development.
Announcing the upgrades,
President Spectar explained, “In this
highly competitive environment, it
PITT-Johnstown
has never been more important to
provide our students with access to
facilities that support their
intellectual and social development.
Pitt-Johnstown has long been
recognized for its outstanding
facilities, yet we realize that we must
constantly strive to ensure that those
areas continue to meet the needs of
our campus community, with our
priority first and foremost being on
our academic facilities.”
Pitt-Johnstown Faculty Senate
President Brian Houston commented
on the recent renovations by saying,
“Overall I have been impressed by the
modern look of the new facilities,
including the massive renovation of
the Student Union. I think it is vital to
attracting students that Pitt
Johnstown not only have
contemporary housing, but to make
sure that administrative and
academic facilities follow suit and
keep pace with, or stay ahead of, the
times.” Jacob Harper, president of
the Staff Activities and Concerns
Association remarked, “The
improvements over the past
summer have provided new
opportunities for staff, faculty, and
students and continue to increase
the beauty of our campus and pride
in our campus community.”
This summer, nearly $2 million
was invested in upgrading
classrooms, dining facilities, social
spaces, and technology
infrastructure. Among the academic
enhancement projects completed
over the past several months are:
• The Engineering and Science
Building was the first academic
facility to undergo a significant
upgrade. As part of phase I of a
major upgrade, all classrooms in
the building have been converted
to technology-ready classrooms,
featuring the latest in instructional
technology. The Engineering and