The University of South Carolina’s Lancaster campus broke ground on Founders Hall, the college’s first new building in a decade, reports the South Carolina Radio Network.
At a ceremony, school officials said the new 40,000 square foot hall will open early next year. The $7.5 million building will include classrooms, multimedia lecture rooms, an art studio, offices and an outdoor amphitheater.
Sherri Gregory of USC-L’s Office of Advancement says the school has run out of space in its six current buildings. Founders Hall has been planned since 2005, when Gregory said it became apparent the school was reaching its capacity.
“USC enrollment has doubled over the last decade,” she said, ”And we just were out of space to expand either the number of classes being offered to accommodate a larger student body and of course to try to keep our class sizes to a manageable faculty- student ratio.” About 1,800 students are enrolled at the school now.
A fundraising campaign brought in $3 million for the project, including a $1 million donation from the building’s namesake Founders Federal Credit Union. The school will borrow the rest of the money they need, she said. Gregory said the campus only has six buildings and this new project will double its classroom space. Read More.
