A new era in applied-science instruction at Fort Lewis College dawned Tuesday as a trackhoe tore into one of the oldest sections of Berndt Hall.
The demolition of construction dating to 1968 will allow new quarters to be built for physics, engineering and geoscience programs.
It was long overdue. The current classrooms have their original desks and lab tables, and infrastructure such as electrical and ventilation systems have not been updated in 20 years.
The new quarters, expected to be ready for occupancy in fall 2016, are needed to accommodate skyrocketing enrollment in physics and engineering, campus spokesman Mitch Davis said.
The four-year degree program in the two disciplines had 93 students in 2010. Last fall, enrollment stood at 228, with a 40-student waiting list for engineering.
The FLC geosciences program is one of few nationwide to offer economic geology, which makes its graduates sought by mining companies and tribal energy offices, Davis said.
Students majoring in geosciences, physics or engineering learn from acknowledged experts in their field, Davis said. The location of FLC offers a natural classroom for geosciences majors, he said.
The reconstruction of the area occupied by engineering and physics will provide in excess of 66,000 square feet for the three disciplines. The area is more than three times the size of the current space.
The current home of geosciences will remain intact but vacant for some future use, Davis said.
Housed in the new section will be laboratories, tutoring rooms, study rooms, “smart” lecture halls, storage space, dedicated research rooms and offices for faculty and support staff.
Laboratories will be designed for particular needs. A research observatory will support physics and astronomy classes, and there will be specialized testing and research equipment.
The cost of the new construction is $35.3 million, with most of the money coming from the state. The state provided money in 2008 for the design, which was completed in 2010.
The college originally asked for the entire $35.3 million, less earlier design costs, in 2014-15.
But at the request of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, FLC resubmitted its request for two years. So $23 million was budgeted for the current year and $10.4 million for 2015-16.
daler@durangoherald.com
