Talk about timing.
K-State 105, an economic development project within the Next-Gen K-State Strategic Plan, allows the university to fulfill its role as a modern land-grant institution by connecting all 105 Kansas counties with K-State expertise. As administrators began to take stock of the infrastructure improvements needed to implement the lofty strategy, they found a shortcut through the KSU Foundation’s Flip this Classroom initiative.
Having already started the process of raising $7 million to modernize 67 high-priority classrooms, Flip This Classroom simplified the task at hand by paving the way between K-State’s Division of Facilities and renovation funding from the foundation.
Next-gen necessities
K-State 105 calls for an open and active communication circuit between the university’s experts, state partners and counties across the state, maintained by the K-State Research and Extension network. Connecting every county to K-State campuses is a big undertaking, so a 10-member workgroup was convened to ensure the classrooms were properly equipped.
“We’re still in the process of defining what ‘next-gen’ should look like in our learning spaces, but the goal with K-State 105 is to create opportunities to engage with our campus partners in research and extension across the state,” said Heather Mills, director of space management for K-State’s Division of Facilities. “Much of this will involve changes in our approach to technology and classroom functionality to create more connectivity between the main campus and remote learning locations.”
With the KSU Foundation already $4.1 million and many completed rooms into Flip This Classroom, the workgroup looked for ways to combine efforts.
“We began by touring classrooms and developing guidelines to be incorporated into existing Flip This Classroom project planning,” Mills said. “Much of the renovations for K-State 105 match Flip This Classroom’s goal to upgrade technology in a way that creates a modern, immersive experience in a hybrid learning environment.”
Two existing rooms on the Manhattan campus were selected for the joint project: one in Bluemont Hall and the other in Eisenhower Hall, with a third to be incorporated into the new Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation complex.
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Contributing to Flip This Classroom is a power move for our university — donations directly improve learning spaces to attract students and faculty, but the full benefits extend to every K-State nook and cranny in one way or another. You can read more about facility upgrades through the Flip This Classroom initiative in “The Ghost in the Radiator.”
