Niagara University Receives $150,000 Grant from Alden Trust to Create New Student Spaces

Niagara University students will have additional places to collaborate and engage with peers and faculty, thanks to a $150,000 grant from the George I. Alden Trust. The funding will support the renovation of several learning spaces in Glynn Hall, one of the four premier buildings in Niagara University's heritage footprint.

Four areas in the building will be transformed into comfortable, inviting seating and study places where students can relax and converse before and after classes, and a classroom on the third floor will be reimagined as a showplace classroom with moveable furniture, additional presentation screens and whiteboards, and elevated seating.

"This initiative will create welcoming spaces for students to gather between classes and supports the retention efforts of our Office of Academic Services to cultivate meaningful relationships among students and integrate them into their new learning community," said Dr. Timothy Ireland, Niagara University provost and vice president of academic affairs. "By offering students a variety of study space settings-from quiet individual cubicles to collaborative group areas-we allow students to choose the most effective environment for their specific tasks and learning styles and foster their academic success."

Glynn 311 will be redesigned to make optimal use of its narrow spaces and enhance the student learning experience, while lobbies on the first, second, and third floors, as well as the first-floor vending area, will be refurbished with furniture that supports small group work and one-on-one meetings with professors, standing workstations, and charging stations for students' devices.

"Glynn Hall serves as one of Niagara's main teaching hubs, so it sees a high volume of faculty and student traffic," said Antonia Knight, dean of academic services, who led the grant along with Kathryn Marzec, associate dean of academic services; Dr. Rachael Rossi Webb, faculty development coordinator; and Dr. Vennessa Walker, executive director of institutional effectiveness and assessment. "These new student spaces will invite students to linger and have valuable conversations with their professors and peers, creating a deeper sense of belonging and community."

George Alden established the George I. Alden Trust on Aug. 24, 1912, for the general purpose of "the maintenance of some charitable or philanthropic enterprises" with specific interest in "the promotion of education in schools, colleges, or other educational institutions." Since then, the trustees have continued the trust's historical grantmaking focus in pursuit of Alden's desire "to do the greatest good for the greatest number."