State-of-the-art, larger capacity lecture halls are among the improvements at the newly renovated Nursing Annex. (photo by Dana Johnson)
Students benefit from updated Nursing Annex
This fall Vanderbilt University School of Nursing students will be learning in state-of-the-art classrooms and lecture halls designed for comfort and user-friendliness.
With renovation work wrapped up in time for student orientation, the 13,175-square-foot Nursing Annex has been transformed into space that better reflects the needs of both students and faculty.
“Everything was designed with our students in mind,” said Linda Norman, D.S.N., R.N., senior associate dean for Academics. “Students spend a majority of time in the annex classrooms and we walked through every detail to make sure it is a space that is conducive to learning and reflective of the many needs of our students.”
The new annex is divided up into eight small, medium and large rooms to provide a wider choice of course venues. The seminar rooms still seat up to 30 students, but the space in the large lecture halls has been reconfigured into one room that seats more than 200, another that seats 150, and another two that seat approximately 62 each.
The entire area is wireless enabled and outfitted with the latest technology.
The VUSN technology staff records more than 1,100 hours of classes for streaming and formatting to CDs, and now each room in the Annex has enhanced camera capabilities. The lecture halls contain smart board technology with touch screens and the ability for the faculty to mark-up presentations from the podium and automatically save them for students.
One of the best features is actually invisible. Students will no longer have to wear extra layers of clothing for warmth inside the lecture halls as the redesign includes new heating and cooling units to ensure appropriate indoor climates.