Engineering program to be added


The college plans to become a university and add an engineering school.

CANTON REPOSITORY

ALLIANCE — To accommodate aspiring engineers, Mount Union College is undertaking a bit of an engineering project.

Vacant for years, Wilson Hall is being overhauled to house the school’s fledgling engineering- education program. It was built in the late 1950s.

Cost of the project “is over $4 million,” said Blaine Lewis, director of Mount Union College’s physical plant. “We closed the building in 2003 as a science building, and it has not been used in the past seven years. It will have two classrooms and six engineering labs. There are also 21 offices.”

Beginning in 2010-11, classes leading to degrees in mechanical and civil engineering will be offered.

Cleveland architectural firm Westlake, Reed & Leskosky is in charge of the project.

The building space is about 22,000 square feet.

The lobby will resemble an atrium with large window panes, steel framing and a brick-face wall that is common architecture with contemporary office construction.

“We are looking at a curriculum for the future,” said James Thoma, associate dean of Mount Union. “We are looking to attract students that we couldn’t address before. Most people that want to go in engineering, they know ahead of time [before enrolling]. They target schools. We will be hiring engineering faculty.”

The school’s name will be changed to University of Mount Union in August. The new engineering-education program reflects the administration’s desire to expand academic offerings.

“The demand is there from incoming students,” Lewis said. “We look at it as a growth opportunity for Mount Union. It needs a lot of space to be successful. But more importantly, we needed the labs and classrooms. It needed a lot of faculty offices.”

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