SNHU's New Academic Center Opens to Rave Reviews

On a sparklng fall afternoon SNHU President Paul LeBlanc and members of the board of trustees joined the university community in a ribbon-cuttng dedication to unveil the new 33,500-square-foot Academic Center.

Trustee chaiman Mickey Greene cut the ribbon and was joined by President LeBlanc and university personnel William McGarry, senior vice president for operations and finance; Patricia Lynott, vice president for academic affairs; Bob Vachon, director of facilities management; and Dana Adams, executive vice president, Opechee Construction Corp.

 

“The brick buildings are in many ways symbolic of a bold and confident institution that sees many years ahead of it, said LeBlanc. ”

Academic Center Fast Facts:

• 33,500 square feet
• five classrooms that seat 30 students
• one multipurpose room that can be divided in half
• one case room (tiered lecture space) that seats 74 (including four accessible seats)
• one seminar classroom that can seat 30-36 students
• four group study rooms that can be reserved by students
Contains general seating on two levels (Learning Commons) where students, faculty and staff can pick up grab-and-go food and study in a space that was designed to be louder than the SNHU Library but quieter than the Dining Hall
• Houses Academic Affairs and School of Community and Economic Development
• Contains patio area with 15 metal tables and umbrellas.

SNHU’s new academic building was constructed with sustainability in mind. It features:

• Energy-efficient lighting, windows and heating/cooling systems
• Low-flow plumbing
• No incandescent lighting is used in the building. All fixtures have fluorescent lighting which reduces lighting electrical loads and extends lamp life-cycles
• Recycled construction materials
• Passive solar heating
• Sensor-controlled doors
• Native plants to preserve local habitats.

To see photos of the new Academic Center and other campus events, follow SNHU on Flickr.