Editor's note: Design changes since this article was posted will make the new academic building 70,000 square feet instead of 60,000 as initially planned.

As part of Homecoming festivities, ground will be broken Friday, Oct. 5, on a new academic building that will provide collaboration workspaces, design studios, flexible classrooms, chemistry laboratories and faculty innovation spaces.

The special ceremony will take place at 2:30 p.m. between Moench Hall and Myers Hall on the east side of campus.

Supported through a $15 million lead gift from an anonymous donor, the $29 million academic building is scheduled to be available for the 2021-22 school year.

The building has been designed to support active student engagement through flexible and easily adaptable spaces for student projects and design studios, and breakout space for students and teams to collaborate on projects. A central atrium and lots of interior and exterior glass will showcase the work taking place within, making it a “window into Rose” concept that showcases curricular innovation, laboratory activities and teamwork among students, faculty and staff members.

“The design of this new academic building reflects our focus on active engagement in learning within a collaborative, mentoring environment,” says Rose-Hulman President Jim Conwell.

Anne Houtman, provost and vice president for academic affairs, points out that flexible learning classrooms and innovation spaces will more easily integrate instruction with exploration. Also, new state-of-the-art chemistry laboratories, replacing aging facilities currently in use, will provide separate spaces for instruction and hands-on learning of general, organic, analytical and physical chemistry, and undergraduate chemistry and biochemistry research with faculty.

The building will give students access to a prototyping laboratory, laser-cutting devices, machine tools and a woodworking shop.

Other Friday Homecoming activities include alumni golf outings, a pep rally, coronation and bonfire. Academic department open houses, student organization displays, an alumni/student 5-kilometer fun run and football game are on tap Saturday. There also will be several class reunions throughout the weekend, including members of the Class of 1968 being inducted into the Alumni Association’s 50 Plus Club.