Third-floor renovations are underway at the UAB School of Optometry’s Henry Peters Building.
The updates, which are part of an overall renovation to the building, began in December and aim to bring a greater focus to the School of Optometry student experience.
A large student lounge will create a much-needed location for daytime breaks, late-night study sessions and general gathering space. A new locker room will feature more locker space than what students previously used to accommodate the patient care equipment they carry daily.
In addition to new and updated learning spaces, which include a lecture-style classroom and a laboratory learning center, the Office of Student Affairs will be located nearby to provide students greater access to staff and other resources.
Third-floor renovations are estimated to be completed in mid-2018, and second-floor updates will follow. Renovation plans for the second floor include the expansion of Clinical Evaluation of Visual Systems learning space to include 15 exam lanes, one of which will be an exact replica of the National Board Examination Room. In addition, an adjoining classroom will provide video access to each lane.
The existing standard classrooms on the second floor will be replaced with a flexible classroom that will allow for small group discussions, analysis and collaboration, and an updated lecture-style classroom.
“Student success comes not just from excellence in faculty teaching and mentoring, but also through interaction in the spaces where ideas are generated and knowledge is refined,” says Kelly K. Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD, FAAO, dean of the School of Optometry. “The importance of the learning environment is why we embarked on this renovation project.”
In 2017, a student lounge and a kitchen area on the first floor were revamped, and research space on the fourth floor was also refurbished.
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