Dorm Ready for Residents Hundreds of students, alumni, staff, and faculty gathered during Homecoming to celebrate the official dedication of Indiana Tech’s newest residence hall as Evans-Kimmell Hall.
had,” Snyder said. “It was Michael’s very generous contribution that enabled the university to construct this magnificent residence hall, named in honor of his parents.”
The residence hall is named in honor of the parents of Indiana Tech Trustee Dr. Michael Evans, and a gift from Evans will fund a substantial portion of the $3.4 million cost of the building. His father, Robley Evans, was a civil engineering graduate of Indiana Tech in 1942.
Several members of the Evans family watched as a commemorative plaque was unveiled and Snyder declared: “This students’ residence hall is hereby named in honor of two very special individuals whose kindness, caring, love of family, and passion for learning has inspired many and will inspire generations to come, Robley W. Evans and Ruth Kimmell Evans.”
“I wanted to thank Indiana Tech for the opportunity it gave my father to have an education that then allowed him to have a successful professional career as an engineer,” said Evans, president and CEO of AIT Laboratories in Indianapolis. “My father had to live in boarding houses while he attended Indiana Tech, so to be able to give today’s students a sense of stability while seeking an education was important to me.” At the time Robley Evans attended Indiana Tech the university was located in a former mortuary in downtown Fort Wayne and offered no student housing. The university moved to its current campus on Washington Boulevard in 1957. During the dedication, President Arthur Snyder commented on Michael Evans’ appreciation for education, which was instilled in him by his parents. “It was Michael’s desire to create something for the benefit of our students. Something that would last. Something that would help many students in their ability to come to Indiana Tech and to get started on the road to lifelong success here, as his father
Evans-Kimmell Hall is the university’s fourth residence hall and houses 58 students in apartment-style suites. Each suite has two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchenette, and a living room. In addition to the suites, Evans-Kimmell Hall has a community area on the first floor with a big screen television, a billiards table, a fireplace, an island dining area, and a full kitchen available for use on request. A loft on the second floor provides additional lounge areas. The building has laundry facilities on each floor, cable TV, and Wi-Fi Internet access. Evans-Kimmell Hall also offers a suite for President’s Club members who would like to spend a night on campus. Evans-Kimmell Hall was designed by Design Collaborative and built by Whitley Manufacturing. The Board of Trustees recently approved the construction of another residence hall to be built directly to the east of Evans-Kimmell Hall.
New Way to “Do College” Created with $2 Million Grant Not everybody approaches learning the same way or with the same background, so one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to college.
or on- and off-campus employment. Creating these types of learning communities also helps to build camaraderie and support.
Recognizing the need for education that resonates with a wide range of students, Indiana Tech is creating a new program with a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The university received $398,395 this fall for the first year of the grant, which is then renewable for four years, for an expected total of nearly $2 million.
Friendships and “feeling at home” at Tech will be encouraged further by interaction through shared campus activities. While the university always has social opportunities available, the new program will provide for even more events through the creation of both full-time and part-time staff positions to implement and oversee activities and student organizations. The social aspect will be of benefit to all students.
Indiana Tech will use the funds to develop a specialized curriculum that emphasizes academic coaching by faculty and advisors, and collaboration and social interaction among students. The program will provide a unique freshman experience, as well as prove valuable for returning and transfer students. The university anticipates accepting 100 to 120 students into the program during the first year. There will be no additional cost or requirement to register for it, but students identified through interviews and transcript reviews as those who could benefit will be encouraged to enroll.
“In addition to the extra guidance for coursework, the strong emphasis placed on campus involvement will be especially beneficial for firstyear students.” President Arthur Snyder said. “Helping students adapt readily to university life and build very solid academic skills will lead to their being more successful.” Although several components of the program are formulated with freshmen in mind, upperclassmen who can benefit will be encouraged to consider enrolling in it, as well.
The program will include supportive student services such as more frequent advising, tutoring, and learning communities. A core group “This is a very structured way to ‘do college,’” explained Dr. Elaine of faculty and advisors will be selected to work with the students and Pontillo, vice president of academic affairs. “Some students find this to provide specialized courses for English and math. Block scheduling type of study environment, which includes more interaction with will enable students in the program to work in cohorts. faculty and often working in teams with other students, really helps them focus their efforts and achieve higher grades than they would For example, students who will major in business may be scheduled have earned otherwise.” into the same math section where they can work on projects in teams, with the subject matter geared toward their degree requirements in To facilitate academic success further, a library educator will be a way that also meets individual students’ learning style needs. That available to assist students in research projects, fostering student use cohort then could take their required Foundations of Business course of research tools, particularly with navigating both on-campus and as a group. off-campus electronic networks. It is likely that students in the program will have their schedules formatted in Monday-Wednesday-Friday classes and Tuesday-Thursday classes, all concentrated in the morning and early afternoon. This type of focused scheduling will condense time between classes and complete them by 2 p.m. daily, thus allowing for athletic team practices 6
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Fall 2008
Tech’s growing enrollment and retention will be aided by the implementation of the program. During this first year of the grant, the university is planning all details carefully and conducting in-service training for involved faculty and staff. The program will be launched in fall 2009. Selection of an official name for the program is in progress. 7