HELENA – Carroll College broke ground on Thursday, Sep. 13 for the renovation of the Jack & Sallie Corette Library and the construction of the new Simperman Learning Commons.
The $7 million major renovation of the 40-year-old library and construction of the commons is intended to help with the needs of Carroll students, as technology and teaching methods evolve.
Two new major additions to the library property include a Center for Professional Communication and café with an outdoor patio.
The Center for Professional Communication will offer assistance in writing, speaking, research, and multi-modal presentations with trained peer and professional tutors.
Carroll College junior and student body president Kennedy Bahm is excited for the renovations and believes the updates will be an incredible boon for the students.
“It’s really going to put us on the map to have a center like this and to have access to research for undergraduate professors and students,” said Bahm, “ And it’s really going to update our campus and put us back to where a lot of the other private schools are at in this area as well.”
Primary benefactor for the new Learning Commons and Carroll graduate Roy Simperman was present for the groundbreaking and said the investment in the new updates is important because it supports and fosters education.
“Education, not only at this level but also at elementary and secondary, you want these kids to come out as intelligent, well rounded individuals so that they actually make a good contribution not only to themselves and to their families, but to society in general,” said Simperman.
“This is going to create a new paradigm in how we libraries and learning her on this campus,” said Carroll College president John Cech, PhD. “We’re excited to give our students access to real world tools that that they will use anywhere they go.”
Cech added this is a very exciting time to for Carroll and is looking forward to the future.
“We were so please this week to receive the news for U.S. News and World Report about being number 1 in the west, but every more excited to hear that we’re number 1 for undergraduate teaching,” said Cech.
Phase I of the construction is expected to be completed late 2018 with Phase II beginning early in 2019.
For more information about the project click here.
