The beginning of the semester marked the long-awaited opening of the University of North Alabama’s new Computing and Mathematics Building.
The building is located between Weslayan Hall and Stevens Hall. With a modern appearance, students, faculty and staff alike think that the building is an attractive addition to campus.
The Computing and Mathematics Building is split into three floors, with each serving a different purpose. The bottom floor contains a handful of classrooms and computer laboratories, a cafe and a common area with a large array of seating options for students to study, complete with televisions and white boards.
The second floor is home to the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, and the third floor holds the Department of Mathematics. These floors are organized similarly, with space for faculty offices, classrooms and a study space that overlooks campus. These two floors also have coordinating art displays that can be seen from both inside the building and outside walking around campus.
Construction of the building has been in progress since the spring semester of 2022. During construction, the old Mathematics Building was torn down, meaning that the Department of Mathematics was displaced to Stevens Hall.
Challenges occurred during the Department of Mathematics’ time in Stevens Hall, especially due to the size of the department and the amount of additional faculty the building needed to accommodate.
“The biggest challenge for us wasn’t sharing the space, but it was people realizing how much space we take up,” said Dr. Jesse Prince-Lubawy, an associate professor of mathematics and Department of Mathematics chair. “We’re a very large department. Not only do we service our majors and our secondary education math majors, we also service the university with their general education mathematics courses. I don’t think it was us adjusting, but it was everybody else adjusting to us being in there because we took up so much space.”
Dr. Jesse Prince-Lubawy, an associate professor of mathematics and Department of Mathematics chair, witnessed this move firsthand.
“Being scattered in Stevens Hall, we had faculty on the first, second and third floors because it wasn’t our building,” Prince-Lubawy said. “It was only a temporary location, so we were all very excited when we started seeing the building come together. It was very exciting when it was finally done.”
The transition to the Computing and Mathematics Building was done quickly, with faculty having only a short period of time to move into their new offices before the fall semester began.
“Everybody was excited about the move, but then we were counting down two-and-a-half to three weeks before classes were starting,” Prince-Lubawy said. “It was one of those go-go-go and don’t look back [times]. Now we’re kind of situated, but it’s a new building, so it’s going to probably take a semester to fully get settled. I still have boxes in the corner, but we’ve gotten most of the stuff out.”
Since classes have begun, there has been overwhelmingly positive feedback from the faculty who teach in the Computing and Mathematics Building.
“Everybody loves the new building!” Prince-Lubawy said. “The building is a loop, so it’s nice for us to be a unit again, being all on the same floor as a cohort. I know we’re all excited about that. This brings a nice, modern touch to campus, and it’s very exciting that we got to be a part of it”
Students who have computing or mathematics classes are equally fond of the new building, complimenting the design and utility of the space.
“I really like it!” said student Carmen Birmingham. “It’s really nice, and it’s clean, of course, since it’s a new building. I like the area downstairs where you can sit and study. It’s really nice, especially when you have a big gap [between classes].”
Many are especially fond of the study spaces, which are plentiful, providing students with a space to work, study and catch up with friends.
“I think my favorite part is the study space,” said student Jessiann Myers. “It’s a really cool area, and I was excited to be able to come here and use it. I also like that there are tables with plugs in the classrooms. I think it’s a really nice building.”
There has been an astoundingly positive reception to the opening of the new Computing and Mathematics Building. With the building’s completion, UNA has created a new home for Mathematics and Computer Science and Information Systems students and faculty for years to come.
