By Mike Greife,
June 16, 2016
WARRENSBURG, MO – Work has begun on the $18.4 million renovation of the W. C. Morris
Science Building at the University of Central Missouri, a project that will provide
state-of-the-art facilities for future generations of students studying the sciences,
mathematics and computer science at the university.
Although various classrooms and laboratory facilities have been updated throughout
the years, this is the first major renovation of the building, which was built in
1968 at a cost of $3 million. Renovation construction began in May following the end
of the spring 2016 semester and will continue in four phases, with completion slated
for early August 2017 in time for the fall 2017 semester. McCownGordon Construction,
Kansas City, is the general contractor for the project, with design work completed
by Gould Evans architects, Kansas City.
The project is funded with $12.2 million in state capital appropriations, along with
$5.97 million in university reserves and $174,000 in the department reserves from
the College of Health, Science, and Technology at UCM.
The state funding was provided by the passage by the Missouri Legislature of House
Bill 19, which provided $200 million in state appropriations for STEM-education related
capital projects at state colleges and universities across the state, including the
$12.2 million for the W.C. Morris Building renovation.
The first phase of construction will be completed this summer, with the renovation
of earth science and mathematics classrooms and offices on the first floor and the
instrument lab on the fourth floor. Restrooms on the third floor will be upgraded
as well. During fall semester, phase two will include upgrades of the animal biology
lab on the second floor and the organic chemistry lab on the fourth floor.
The third phase, which will be completed during spring semester 2017, will include
improvement of the restrooms on the first, second and fourth floors, along with the
inorganic chemistry lab, also on the fourth floor. A major portion of the laboratory
renovations will be completed during summer 2017 with the completion of the fourth
phase, which includes the physiology, molecular biology and parasitology labs on the
third floor, along with the physical chemistry, biochemistry and freshman chemistry
labs on the fourth floor. Lecture rooms, offices and lab prep rooms also will be completed
during this phase.
In addition to interior renovations, repairs also will be made to the exterior of
the building, and the roof will be replaced.
UCM President Charles Ambrose expressed the university’s appreciation for the foresight
of Missouri legislators in considering the importance of the purpose of House Bill
19.
“We appreciate the work of Sen. David Pearce and Sen. Mike Parson and their fellow
legislators in providing Gov. Jay Nixon with this piece of legislation for his signature,”
Ambrose said. “It provides reinforcement of Missouri’s commitment to the quality of
education we offer to our students. It will help UCM provide a competitive edge for
our students as they enter the job market, while providing the kind of learning environment
that exemplifies learning to a greater degree.”
According to Alice Greife, dean of College of Health, Science and Technology, the
renovation provides upgraded facilities for university programs in chemistry, biology,
earth science, physics and computer science.
“The building does not currently provide the infrastructure, classroom and laboratory
spaces needed to serve the changing needs of these programs,” Greife said. “Throughout
the decades, new technology and advances in the sciences have necessitated significant
changes in the curriculum in these fields of study. This renovation will allow us
to offer laboratory and classroom facilities to our students that will prepare them
to meet the demands of the professions they are seeking to enter.”
Greife also noted during the past decade, some laboratory spaces in the building have
been taken off-line due to inadequacies and needed upgrades, resulting in a reduction
in the number of seats available in general studies and major courses in math, science
and teacher preparation.
“With the significant growth in university enrollment during recent years, it is now
even more important that we maximize the opportunities for students to gain the hands-on
laboratory experiences that are so vitally important in these fields of study,” she
said. “With the completion of this renovation, we will significantly improve those
capabilities, and our students will be the primary beneficiaries.”
