MIT is renovating 301 Vassar Street (W89) to house the MIT Professional
Learning Center. The Learning Center, formerly a commercial building,
will be a multipurpose training facility for the MIT community.
According to Margaret Ann Gray, captain of the Reengineering Training
and Development Planning Team, the Learning Center is expected to be
open for business on Tuesday, April 16. Beginning in May, the building
will be used for training for the SAP R/3 software, the new financial
software that will be used by the Institute. The facility will also be
used for Core Training classes to introduce new users to basic computer
skills (electronic mail, Internet access, etc.) as well as the
professional development seminars which are sponsored by the Personnel
Office.
Once renovations are complete, the three-story building will contain
eight computer classrooms and two professional development classrooms.
Seven computer classrooms will seat 12 people and one will seat eight,
while the professional development classrooms will hold 30 people each.
There is also a barrier-free classroom on the ground floor, according to
John Squillante, who is coordinating the renovations.
In addition to the classrooms there will be a small "breakout" space.
Coffee will be available all day, as well as at morning and afternoon
breaks. The building plans also incorporate office space for instructors
and building personnel. The Leaning Center will be staffed by a facility
administrator, a technology coordinator and two part-time support staff
who will share one job. The building also houses storage space for
materials and a kitchen.
Arrangements for parking and transportation are not yet finalized, but
this information will be available to training participants before their
classes begin.
