Modular Classrooms Cause Stir Among Ramapo Students

by Anthony Smith | September 26, 2012 7:29 pm

By ANTHONY SMITH

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Ramapo College of New Jersey is currently moving forward with a $54 million renovation project to the G-Wing of the academic complex. Because of this, many classrooms in the section of the school are uninhabited. Enter modular classrooms.

As students returned to Ramapo in early September, they were greeted by several trailers scattered around campus. These trailers are serving as temporary classrooms while renovations to the G-Wing are conducted. The renovations will include the construction of the Adler Center for Nursing, in addition to the upgrading of all facilities of the Science-oriented wing, according to the website for Ramapo College.

Many students believe holding classes in trailers are far below what they expect from the institution.

“If I did have a class in the trailers, I would be frustrated,” said Katie Curl, Senior Journalism major at Ramapo College. “We pay a lot of money to go [to Ramapo] and to send students into a trailer, I think, is an easy way out for the school, but not a considerate decision.”

“It’s ridiculous,” said Senior Lauren Faren, a Visual Communication Design major, adding “we definitely shouldn’t be paying so much to have class in a trailer.” Student Meghan McKeary would also find it frustrating to be placed in one of these temporary classrooms.

“I think if I had a class in one I would be [unhappy] because I’m paying full tuition and not even getting a real classroom,” Senior Meghan McKeary said.

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With many students noticing empty classrooms in other wings of the academic complex at any given time during the day, did Ramapo waste money by purchasing the alternate classrooms?

“Yeah, absolutely,” Curl said. “There is no way that every classroom is being utilized on campus. Though it may be harder to plan out, I think it’s a waste of money to put those eye sores in student residence hall parking lots.”

McKeary also thinks Ramapo is “probably” wasting money on them, while Faren thinks they are “definitely not” worth the money. Despite that, other students believe the modular classrooms were money well spent.

“I think it was actually a pretty good investment,” said Michael Scerbo, Junior Criminology major, while offering the idea to “make [the modular classrooms] offices for the professors” when the construction is complete. He said the alternate classrooms serve a purpose, potentially even better than traditional classrooms.

“It’s kind of the same [as traditional classrooms] after you get in the actual class,” said Scerbo. “It has the screens and boards, so it all looks the same.”

Scerbo added that there are less distractions to students attending classes in the modular classrooms. “Every class I’ve been in, I can hear or see kids outside my class, or out a window, but these don’t have that, so it’s hard to get distracted by other things outside the classroom,” he said.

McKeary thinks the renovations will be beneficial to those who attend the school in the future.“I do think it’s great they are re-doing G-wing especially since it is horrible, but it won’t benefit me obviously,” McKeary said. The improvements will not be benefitting McKeary because she will be graduating this coming May.

The G-Wing improvement project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014.

Source URL: https://class1.ramaporecord.org/?p=8137

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