A $27 million, 16-month project to renovate and modernize a six-story classroom and faculty building at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is inching closer to completion.
Work on the improvements within Clow Hall on the Oshkosh campus began in spring 2022, when moving crews helped vacate classrooms, labs and faculty and staff offices that are temporarily relocated. Now in the project’s second phase, Clow Hall renovations are expected to be substantially complete by the middle of July.
“As the major renovation project enters the home stretch toward completion, its positive immediate impact on student learning, teaching and programmatic advancement comes into even clearer focus,” said Chancellor Andrew Leavitt. “We will help teacher preparation at UWO make a huge leap by integrating new technologies and modern, collaborative classroom and lab spaces. I thank College of Education and Human Services (COEHS) faculty and staff members, K-12 partners and state legislators for helping us thoughtfully envision, shape and realize such a vital project that looks to the future while honoring UWO’s teacher-education roots.”
This second phase of upgrades within Clow Hall follows a first phase that transformed the nursing education portion of the building. The current project promises to provide a state-of-the-art home for the COEHS faculty, staff and students.
Improvements include mechanical upgrades, new windows, roofing and interior walls, flooring, ceilings and lighting—all chosen with a focus on sustainability and energy efficiency. Lecture halls and classrooms are being remodeled and reconfigured. Work is taking place from the basement to the sixth floor, including the faculty offices on the to four floors.
Construction work continues in Clow Hall. The project is now expected to wrap up in July. More photos →
COEHS dean Linda Haling said the renovated spaces will reflect innovative classroom designs, state-of-the-art technologies and modern learning spaces.
One example, Haling said, is a literacy classroom that will simulate an elementary school classroom with multiple learning/collaborating areas and one-way glass so teacher candidates can observe a one-on-one session with an experienced classroom teacher and a young reader.
Another updated space will be the counseling and human services department’s new practicum laboratory modeled after a clinic. The lab will enhance instruction through live supervision. Students will be able to view their recorded sessions and assess their skills directly in the video.
An earlier, related step in the overall project included development of a space vacated by the Children Care and Learning Center in Swart Hall into a College of Letters and Science dean’s suite, faculty offices, a math tutoring lab, general access classroom and a forensics lab.
The upgrades to Clow Hall, which began in spring 2022, are more than a decade in the making. More photos →
Clow Hall renovations were included in a 2011 budget request that called for improvements to both the College of Nursing and COEHS. The nursing portion finished in 2016.
As the highly anticipated second phase commenced in early 2022, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs John Koker noted the remodeled building would provide the necessary space and facilities to educate and develop the 21st century teacher.
The design was by architectural firm Kahler Slater of Milwaukee and the general contractor is C.D. Smith Construction of Fond du Lac.
“This is the kind of modern teaching and learning center that future teachers will be drawn to and excel in,” Leavitt said.
Learn more: