Gov. Hoeven will take part in Education Building groundbreaking Friday

Governor John Hoeven will join President Robert Kelley and College of Education and Human Development Dean Dan Rice at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new addition to UND’s Education Building, Friday, June 4, at 11 a.m.

The ceremony will also include UND alum and N.D. State Senator Ray Holmberg, College of Education faculty member Sherryl Houdek, and student representatives from the College of Education’s six departments.

The event is scheduled to take place in between the Education Building and Gillette Hall.  The two buildings will be connected by the new addition. JLG Architects of Grand Forks is designing and coordinating the project.

“We are approaching a transitional moment in the history of the college,” said Dan Rice, Dean of the College of Education and Human Development.  “The building as we have known it and as it has existed for some 56 years will be changed forever.”

“In about 15 months, we look forward to coming back to a 21st century sustainable learning space that will serve us and future generations for decades to come,” Rice said.

This project ties into UND’s “Go Green” initiative, which emphasizes good stewardship of resources and the University’s commitment to maximize and advance the contributions of UND as a public research university to the country’s energy independence effort.  When the project is completed, the Education Building will be one of the first academic buildings in the state to be LEED certified at the silver level. (LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.)

“In addition to signing the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, UND already has several strategies in place to make a difference, and this new education facility will significantly enhance our ‘green’ effort,” Kelley said.

Earth from the groundbreaking will be added to flower pots which will be replanted near the building at the completion of the project.

In the spring of 2009, the North Dakota Legislature appropriated $11.2 million dollars to add 14,000 square feet of building space and to link the Education Building to Gillette Hall.  This is the first major renovation to the Education Building since it was built in 1953.

The new addition and renovation will include 12 classrooms, 2 lecture halls, 4 seminar rooms, 5 conference rooms, and 93 faculty and staff offices for the University.  The facility will create “state of the art” learning environments; develop specialized “hybrid” learning space for distance students; and increase interactive research across the disciplines in the College of Education and Human Development.

Examples of classrooms supporting programs include a SCALE-UP room; a Center for Assessment; a STEM room (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math); a Reading room; a model classroom; a Development and Research Lab; and a Solarium.

The College of Education and Human Development has 1,300 undergraduate and graduate students in six departments including Counseling Psychology and Community Services; Educational Foundations and Research; Educational Leadership; Physical Education, Exercise Science and Wellness; Social Work; and Teaching and Learning. The mission is fostering healthy human development and learning across the lifespan.