This year marks the 10th anniversary of the opening of Bryant University's Quinlan/Brown Academic Innovation Center (AIC). In honor of that transformative event, Bryant News has reposted an article on the debut of the AIC published in the Fall 2016 issue of Bryant magazine. You can read the whole issue here.
Bryant University has a 153-year tradition of innovation, continuously anticipating, and adapting to changes in the world to prepare students for success as innovative leaders with character. When it opened for classes this September, Bryant’s trailblazing Academic Innovation Center (AIC) represented a pinnacle achievement in a 20-year trajectory of unprecedented growth, innovation, and transformation. The AIC is a catalyst for manifesting Bryant’s larger vision to reimagine and redefine higher education to effectively prepare students to become innovative leaders for the future.
Construction of the AIC was part of the historic “Bryant Builds” facilities initiative that has added 250,000 square feet of new academic and athletic facilities to the campus.
The stunning new academic facility is the result of an intensive development and design process to create a vibrant learning laboratory that removes traditional physical and intellectual boundaries to teaching and learning. Bryant University’s clear, compelling vision for the project served as a compass throughout the Academic Innovation Center’s design.
Prior to design and building, the University conducted significant exploration and benchmarking visits to the country’s top institutions of higher education to see firsthand some of the latest innovations in creating inspiring educational spaces. Bryant completed two prototypes on campus, the Ideation Lab and Bello 102, which allowed faculty and students to test mobile furniture and audiovisual tools that would be used in the AIC. These experiences enriched the development of the Academic Innovation Center’s design with lessons learned and best practices.
A unifying space for all academic programs
The AIC is a state-of-the art facility that provides an active, immersive, and collaborative learning environment supporting all academic programs at Bryant University. College of Business, College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School of Business, and new multi-disciplinary classes coexist in a stimulating climate for learning. The building is organized around the Innovation Forum, a highly flexible space whose furnishings and whiteboards can be reconfigured to support various collaborative group learning activities. The building also includes tiered classrooms, flat-floor flexible classrooms, and breakout spaces to accommodate multimodal presentations and learning.
“Bryant’s Academic Innovation Center is an unprecedented facility that redefines the future of teaching and learning. We are creating a world-class learning environment that aligns with Bryant’s bold future.” Bryant University President Emeritus, Ronald K. Machtley '21H
Prominently sited at the campus’s main point of arrival, the AIC welcomes visitors and serves as the launching point for Admissions tours. A café located near the building entrance and adjacent to the campus’s central pedestrian path draws students and faculty to the AIC and further enhances the strong sense of community on campus.
The AIC is designed to boldly advance the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit that characterize the 24/7 Bryant experience. Bryant University’s project team created a space that:
- Enables continuous innovation in what we teach and how we teach to create an optimal environment for learning.
- Removes the intellectual and physical boundaries to teaching and learning and allows the University’s world-class educators the freedom to develop the most effective ways of teaching and learning beyond traditional pedagogies.
- Builds critical thinking and collaboration skills within and across disciplines to prepare students to create value in their communities and an increasingly interconnected global marketplace.
Inspiring innovative approaches to learning
Delivered on time and at $1 million under budget, Academic Innovation Center was made possible in part by the generosity of Bryant friends and alumni. The extensive preparation for this project and collaborative design approach resulted in an unprecedented and highly innovative academic building that leverages best practices across higher education and industry. The building superbly incorporates the diverse approaches to learning advocated by the Faculty Building Committee.
The AIC’s design was purposefully tailored to meet a wide and expanding range of teaching approaches. For example, it includes a combination of flat classrooms and tiered classrooms. One of the large classrooms can be divided into two spaces. In addition, some of the tiered classrooms have blackboards on the front three-part learning walls, while others include whiteboards. Furthermore, the audiovisual configuration differs among large classrooms and breakout rooms, offering a full range of technology and white board space.