Teams from 23 institutions participated recently in a Learning Spaces and Technology Workshop that sought to help institutions enhance current facilities or plan new ones and incorporate new technology into those spaces. Organized by the Council of Independent Colleges and the National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education (NITLE) in collaboration with Project Kaleidoscope, the meeting was held at Rhodes College (TN) on February 17–19. The workshop brought planning teams from colleges and universities together with architects, technology consultants, and designers. The 23 teams (see box), each including up to five faculty and key administrators, were selected from more than 60 applications.

Sessions focused on how to begin the planning process; effective learning spaces, both formal and informal; information commons and the future of the college library; strategies for implementing evolving technology on campus; and working with design professionals. Teams also had a chance to meet privately with architects and other consultants. Participants said the consultations were valuable opportunities for in-depth discussion about the specific opportunities and problems they faced on their campuses.

Michael Mirabito, professor of communication arts and director of the information sciences program at Marywood University (PA), and his colleagues are planning for a new learning/information commons. “Prior to the workshop,” he said, “we thought the best option would be to build a new facility. However, after the meeting with the architects and examining related learning spaces issues, we discovered our current facility could potentially be renovated to accommodate our needs. This one finding in and of itself would have ‘made’ the workshop for us. All the other information was a valuable bonus.”

During the workshop, faculty and staff members from Rhodes College shared their recent experiences creating and implementing a master plan for enhancing the learning spaces on campus. They highlighted the importance of generating support for the project, gathering input from key campus stakeholders, analyzing data, building consensus on results, and organizing the next steps for renovation. More information about the Learning Spaces workshops is available here.