Things may seem a bit different around campus to new and returning students this spring, as a few major adjustments took place over the semester break.
Curtis Hall, a classroom building constructed in 1956, was demolished to make room for Alter Hall, the upcoming $78 million addition to the Fox School of Business. The construction site at 13th and Montgomery streets has left a gaping hole where the four-story building once stood.
TUportal, an E-learning software used by students and faculty, sports a new look this semester.
Timothy O’Rourke, vice president of Computer Services, said the new portal would incorporate all of the Temple-sponsored programs onto a single screen.
Users can access all Temple programs, including TUmail, Blackboard and OWLnet. The new portal is also linked to Google.
“The primary objective is the new TUportal to be a much more robust application than its predecessor,” O’Rourke said.
After much anticipation, the new Tech Center, located at 12th and Montgomery streets, is now open to students and is fully equipped with 700 computers, 13 breakout rooms and 32 plasma screen TVs.
The new center also includes a Welcome Center, a 24-hour Help Desk and a Starbucks Coffee shop that will open in February.
Sheri Stahler, associate vice president for Computer Services, said she is anticipating student utilization.
“We hope that students feel comfortable enough to spend their time here to do their homework and use the breakout rooms to study,” she said.
According to Stahler, the Tech Center will replace the 24-hour computer lab in Tuttleman.
Jerry Hinkle, director for lab operations, said three years of preparation were spent researching and conducting surveys throughout schools and colleges along the east coast. The inspiration behind the Tech Center ultimately came from the computer facility at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
“We were impressed with what they did with their space, which was previously a bread company. We want this space to be a comfortable environment,” Hinkle said.
The construction of Alter Hall is scheduled to begin in mid 2006.
Dafney Tales can be reached at dafneyt@temple.edu.
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