By Victoria Harris —
The Belknap Academic Building celebrated its first birthday with instructor presentations and activities Aug. 29.
University of Louisville Provost Beth Boehm stood in for President Neeli Bendapudi as the speaker for the event. Boehm touched on how the BAB allows for professors to teach more interactively.
“This building has 27 classrooms that are all interactive that make it possible for people to share information with each other,” said Boehm. “It takes time on the faculties part to get used to not standing in the front of the room.”
During the BAB celebration, students were reviewing notes or on their laptops taking advantage of the armchairs and high-top seating. Professors had “poster sessions” during the celebration, so they could share teaching tips and techniques and learn from each other. These sessions were for professors to highlight their favorite active teaching methods and techniques.
Students could toss cornhole to win free pieces of candy and were allowed to experiment with the technologies at the poster sessions around the celebration. As part of the celebration everyone who attended the BAB’s birthday was treated with free cupcakes.
Anthropology professor Angela Storey teaches in two classrooms on the first floor of the BAB, which she said has greatly impacted her teaching style.
“The BAB has allowed me to teach more fully in the way that I would like, which is utilizing active learning techniques of all classes,” said Storey. “Everything about it has allowed me to utilize the same techniques that I was attempting to use in traditional lecture halls, [but] with challenges.”
The BAB replaced the old Crawford Gym which had been built during the early 1960’s. Fans and alumni had strong memories associated with the Crawford Gym, so the designers of the BAB tied in some of the wood from the gym benches into the seating that makes up the grand staircase at the entrance.
Cardinal Singers from the School of Music were at the event to sing “Happy Birthday” to the BAB after Boehm’s remarks.
Photo By Matthew Keck / Louisville Cardinal
