The Chinworth Center Opens for Business
Alex Baker
After a year of construction, the Lockie and Augustus Chinworth Center opened its doors to students, faculty and staff in August. The business faculty and students are enthusiastic about the new building as it has several features that are new and appealing. Many professors believe it is the classrooms, new offices and the new lounge area.
“The question that was lingering with professors was ‘What’s best for the students?,’” said Wendy Hoffman, associate professor of marketing and management. “Just the wide possibilities with the space was really exciting.”
And indeed the faculty have made the most out of Chinworth’s potential. “In addition to the traditional classrooms, we designed one nontraditional classroom intended to provide the faculty with a great deal of flexibility in how they use the space,” said Tim Ogden, dean of the College of Business.
Ogden is also looking forward to the possibilities of improving students’ learning. “All of the furniture is moveable, and there are numerous moveable whiteboards and charging stations,” he said.
“The Chinworth Center will also include technology that will enhance student learning,” Ogden continued. “This space will facilitate roleplays, small-group work and a variety of other types of teaching/learning approaches.”
Faculty aren’t the only ones excited to use these classrooms. For Nick Melero, the College of Business Club president, his favorite part about the new building is the new classrooms since they are “refreshing, attractive and modern.”
Ogden is also impressed with the outcome of the case studies classroom. “This is a type of space that we have needed for as long as I have been teaching here, and it is going to be wonderful for the students,” he explains. “It is designed to accommodate any discussion-based course; the U-shaped classroom makes it easy for students to see one another and to converse with each other while the faculty member facilitates the discussion from the well in the center of the room.” This room is Ogden’s favorite part of Chinworth.
A new building means new offices for professors and members of the College of Business Club. “I love the windows; they are really big and awesome, said Jenny Simmers, associate professor of accounting, with a smile. “I think it’s neat to have the natural sunlight coming in.”
President Melero is grateful for the perks of his office. “The office is a smaller room with a conference table for meetings and cabinets for storage,” he said. “There are pictures of past cabinets hanging on the wall, with our picture being the latest installment on the wall.” Indeed, photographs are a feature throughout Chinworth, with images in the hallways that display alumni success and showcase members of the College of Business Club.
In addition, the new lounge area offers something that the Academic Center didn’t: space and room for interaction. Hoffman has always had her door open but believes that “the space makes it easier for students to pop into professor’s offices and ask quick questions.” Ultimately, Hoffman thinks the new lounge area is “owned by the students.”
“We wanted to create space where students could gather to study, socialize and relax in a comfortable lounge area, but we also wanted it to be close to the offices to facilitate informal interaction among faculty, staff and students,” Ogden said.
Simmers also highlights that the new lounge area is one of her favorite parts of the building. “It’s really awesome, walking out there and seeing students working,” she said with excitement. “The lounge is really being utilized.”
To further inaugurate the Lockie and Augustus Chinworth Center, the College of Business Club is hosting a fall picnic on Sept. 17 and having a guest speaker on Oct. 10.