The University of Georgia’s Science Learning Center is now open for student instruction.
The three-story, 122,500-square-foot building was tailor-made for teaching undergraduate science, technology, engineering and mathematics with the goal of increasing the number of students who pursue careers in the STEM fields.
Supported by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and funded by Gov. Nathan Deal and the Georgia General Assembly, the center cost $48 million and includes 33 instructional labs designed specifically for interactive learning in core undergraduate science courses, two 280-seat lecture halls, two 72-seat SCALE-UP classrooms as well as spaces for informal student collaboration. The space is designed to foster communication between instructors and students as well as between students and their peers.
The goal is for the building’s features—paired with effective instruction from UGA faculty—to enhance a strong foundation in the sciences. With updated instructional spaces able to facilitate the most effective STEM teaching methods, the SLC is geared toward retaining and recruiting more STEM majors. In 2015, nearly 21 percent of degrees awarded to undergraduates at UGA were in the STEM fields—an increase from 15 percent a decade earlier.
The SLC features informal meeting rooms and study spaces that support learning and collaboration for all levels of students. Rooms for formal instruction will be used primarily for introductory courses in chemistry, physics, biological sciences and ecology.
