Some students walking into their first classes of the semester today will be treated to newly renovated rooms in several campus buildings.

Facilities Management started the $10 million project last January and had the first stage completed by Aug. 19 in time for the first day of classes.

The completed phase, which involves 32 classrooms, is centered in the Harvill Building, where 18 rooms were refurbished.

The most noticeable changes there are in Room 150, one of the largest lecture halls on campus, where new carpet, new seats, an enhanced audio system, new lighting panels and many other alterations were put into place, said John Adams, assistant director o f Facilities Management.

The changes ensure that the room is both technologically upgraded and meets all requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Adams said.

A common change to all the rooms in Harvill was the lowering of the ceilings, which enabled Facilities Management to then move the duct work and create a better circulation system, he said.

In addition, all of the rooms were equipped with voice-data capabilities to accommodate the use of computers at student workstations. Currently, the voice-data hardware is present but has not yet been activated.

Adams said the changes made were maintenance renovations. He said, by making the changes now, Facilities Management will avoid maintenance calls and problems in the new rooms.

Susan Steele, associate vice provost for undergraduate education, said the changes were "fabulous."

"It was a totally different world," she said.

Other changes have taken place in Physics and Atmospheric Sciences, where 12 rooms were updated, the Forbes Building, where one room was remodeled, and the Shantz Building, where one room was also refurbished.

The rooms selected for the renovation project were the most heavily-used facilities and those that would have the greatest impact on the greatest number of students and faculty, Adams said.

He said many of the rooms smaller than the lecture halls received new seats, new lighting panels and other amenities that will make the rooms more efficient.

As in Harvill, all of the rooms were made to comply with the ADA, including new door handles and assistive hearing devices.

Many of the changes that have taken place were done in an effort to increase efficiency. All of the new light panels and banks have been computer-designed to create the best possible illumination throughout the room. In addition, energy-saving lights were used in all of the rooms.

However, along with the new look and added features, students may begin to notice enforcement of the no food and drink policies in these new rooms. Facilities Management has made a strong request to all faculty and instructors teaching in these rooms that this policy be firmly enforced.

Work on the second phase of the renovations will begin in February on selected rooms in Social Sciences, Adams said.

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