Learning Resources

Abstract: Spelman College, founded in 1881, is renowned for its long history of providing quality education for African American women to prepare them for leadership roles. The college campus consists of more than thirty-two acres and twenty-five buildings on the west side of Atlanta. Spelman's campus houses eleven buildings completed before 1927, several of which are included in the National Register of Historic Places designation Spelman shares with neighboring colleges. It is one of five institutions that make up the Atlanta University Center (AUC), the largest consortium of higher educational facilities for Black students in the world with a total population of 16,000 students. The Campus Heritage grant allowed Spelman to complete a campus preservation plan and, ultimately, to apply for National Historic Landmark Status.

Abstract: The range of potential STEM careers is growing rapidly, yet people of color are underrepresented in STEM professions. New academic facilities can promote these careers through recruiting, retaining, and connecting with undergraduate talent. This session will explore an integrated approach to planning, design, and branding an HBCU's new STEM facility, including carefully developed digital messaging, to encourage student awareness of STEM academic pathways and professional opportunities. Come hear about strategies and lessons learned in working with architects, graphic designers, and digital content providers to develop this environment.

Abstract: Recently, education researchers have emphasized the redesign of learning spaces to better accommodate pedagogical change. In particular, studies have found evidence of the relationship between the built environment and learning outcomes—however, no current studies have deliberately focused on the “minority majority” feature of America’s future student composition.

This pilot study was conducted to evaluate how space contributes to the learning outcomes of a demographically diverse class of students at Morgan State University, a Historically Black Institution. Based on the neurobiological literature on environmental enrichment, the authors hypothesized that an enriched learning environment will correlate with increased student activity (directed movement) and engagement (with other students, with room features) and result in significantly improved learning outcomes for an ethnically diverse student group.