We’re building. Again! Fifty years after its founding as a school of business and 25 years after its move into Lowder Hall, the Harbert College will have a second home. A $15 million commitment from 1982 alumnus Raymond J. Harbert, matched by $15 million from Auburn University, will fund construction of a second business building. The gift was announced at the Auburn University Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 16, 2016. The as-yet unnamed multipurpose facility with approximately 80,000 square feet of classroom and meeting space will complement Lowder Hall and enable the college to adjust for growth in enrollment, which has risen 30 percent in the past five years. It will feature collaborative working and learning spaces, utilizing flipped classrooms and flexible space. The second building is part of the vision for a “business campus” at the corner of Magnolia Avenue and Donahue Drive. Lowder Hall will remain the administrative hub of the Harbert College, but the second facility will accommodate needs that did not exist when Lowder opened in 1992.
Using flipped classrooms allows class time to be “active,” says AU Interior Designer Anna Ruth Gatlin. Professors and students are “discussing and engaging with the content that the students read/listened to/watched/learned before they came to class,” she says. It’s the opposite of what many of us grew up with—attending class to learn the content, then talking or writing about it outside of the classroom. “In those classes that can be flipped, the infrastructure needs to support that,” Gatlin says. “But the infrastructure also needs to support lecture classes, as they are not magically disappearing by any means.” Flexible learning spaces may feature tables on wheels or chairs that can roll, move, or swivel to facilitate collaboration, charging stations, and stronger Wi-Fi networks.
Learn more at harbert.auburn.edu HM, Fall 2016 41