Veritas, Vol. 42, No. 02, November 1999

              Richter Library renovation plows ahead
Read any good books lately? Probably not curled up under a tree in front of the library, where construction of the Dr. Maxwell and Reva B. Dauer Clock Tower of the Otto G. Richter Library began in June.
Underway is the Richter Renovation Project, a $16 million project that focuses on renovation of the three-story wing of the building. Scheduled for completion in early 2002, the multiphase renovation project centers on the major public areas of the library. The renovated facility will include a 150-workstation Information Commons, group study rooms, expanded training and multimedia facilities for teaching faculty and staff about electronic resources, and enhanced access for disabled library patrons, among other features.
“It’s a wonderful project to help move the library forward so that students and faculty can better access information,” says Luis Glaser, executive vice president and provost. “Continued assessment of library needs of the campus in the future will no doubt require additional changes in the library of the future. ”
The Dauer Clock Tower will provide a new main interior stairwell for the library (to replace the existing stairway) and an entirely new façade for the building. The tower, scheduled for completion in November, was made possible by a $ 1 million donation from the late Reva Dauer and her sons, Edward and Roger.
“This renovation project represents an important step forward as we prepare the library to meet the needs of students and faculty members in the 21st century,” explains Don L. Bosseau, University librarian. “Expanded use of technology and electronic resources are changing the way libraries are used, and in the process, it is incumbent upon us to change with the times.”
Another aspect of the first phase is the refurbishing of an existing staff elevator which began in early September. Work on the elevator includes replacement of the elevator cab and expanding the elevator service to the third floor (the elevator currently only serves the first and second floors and mezzanine). Expansion of this elevator will allow access for library patrons and employees when work on the new central core begins in December.
With work on the elevator in progress and scheduled for completion in late fall, the library has modified its procedures for providing access to the building for disabled patrons using another existing staff elevator. A new handicapped access gate has also been installed at the main entrance of the library. If disabled and in need of assistance, ask for help at the main
lobby desk or circulation/reserve desk on the first floor of the library.
The next renovation phase will involve construction work on a new central core (new public elevator, air conditioning, and mechanical space) for the building and the beginning of construction work on the third floor. The phase begins on December 17 and is expected to run until May 2000, occupying the current main lobby area on the first and second floors. Since major demolition work will be required during this phase, for safety reasons the library will be closed from Saturday, December 18, 1999, until Sunday, January 2, 2000.
Above: Although the Richter Library looks as though a hurricane swept through ity it is actually being refurbished as part of a $16 million renovation project that will be completed by Aiay 2002. The Dauer Clock Tower; left, is scheduled for completion this November.
For more detailed information on the Richter Renovation Project, see Library Links, the Richter Library newsletter, or visit the library’s web site at: www.library.miami.edu. If you have questions about the project, contact Pat Hawthorne at 284-3965 or via e-mail at phawthorne@miami.edu.
Grant cultivates teaching in local schools
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a grant totaling nearly $ 10 million to the University of Miami and Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) to help improve the quality of teaching and teacher preparation in South Florida.
The Department of Education’s Partnership Grants Program will award more than $1.9 million annually to the University and M-DCPS for the next five years. The University’s portion of the grant will be shared by the School of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences.
The federal grant was awarded following a national peer-reviewed competition of teacher preparation
proposals submitted by education institutions throughout the nation. The goal of the UM/M-DCPS program, known as Project SUCCEED, is to provide a comprehensive approach to teacher education that enables teachers to see the “big picture” and better understand the
vital role they play throughout the entire length of their careers.
“This funding is welcomed news for our community and for those innovative teachers and educators seeking new ways to improve education in Miami-Dade County,” says U.S. Representative Carrie Meek, who first received news of the federal grant. “The partnership between Miami-Dade Public Schools and the University of Miami is an excellent example of how higher education and local school districts can come together to improve public education.”
The School of Education will use its portion of the grant primarily to expand its innovative Professional Development Schools program, which places faculty members directly into
Miami-Dade County public schools to help advance teacher education.
“This is certainly the largest grant that has been awarded to the UM School of Education and the most important because it addresses the core of our mission, which is the preparation of teachers,” says education dean Sam Yarger.
At the Professional Development Schools, faculty work directly with education majors as well as teachers to test the latest educational methods and provide University students with “real-world” classroom experiences. Education students receive their associate teaching experience and certification as a result of their training at the schools. At the same time, elementary and high school
students benefit from the latest educational methods and research conducted by graduate students and professors.
The grant will allow the University to expand the Professional Development School program from three public schools to eight. Currendy, faculty members are in residence once a week at Flamingo Elementary, West Laboratory Elementary, Bel-Aire Elementary, and Coral Gables Senior High.
“The Professional Development School program provides a real-life laboratory, an environment where students are able to make the connections between what they learn in the classroom and what’s happening with students in the real world,” says Janette Klingner, the education professor who serves as the program’s director.
Professor Klingner also points out that some of the elementary schools are in urban areas, where there is a critical shortage of teachers. Exposing education majors to inner-city areas might be helpful in recruiting the young teachers to those schools after they graduate.
The portion of the grant allocated to Miami-Dade County Public Schools will also benefit these individual schools by helping them to enhance their professional development programs. The additional funding will be used by the schools to upgrade their technological capabilities and purchase additional instructional materials necessary to support the University program.
“With partners like the University of Miami and the U.S. Department of Education, the teachers and students of Miami-Dade’s public schools can’t help but succeed,” says Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Roger C. Cuevas.
A grant from the U.S. Department of Education will enhance teaching in South Florida.