Roessner Hall
The John K. Roessner III ’61 Hall: The Center for Business and Civic Leadership at Albright College
Roessner Hall, the new home of the accounting, business, economics, and political science departments, along with the Center for Excellence in Local Government and School of Professional Studies, opened its doors for the beginning of the fall 2014 semester. This modern, technologically advanced academic facility has been designed to enhance synergy and collaboration among the related departments and showcase the interdisciplinary approach that is at the heart of the Albright educational experience.
About John K. Roessner III ’61 Hall
The renovation and adaptive reuse of the Rockland Professional Center offers Albright students and faculty a modern, technologically advanced academic facility. This dynamic new space now houses:
- Department of Business, Accounting & Economics
- Department of Political Science
- Accelerated Degree Programs
- Center for Excellence in Local Government
- Center for Community Engagement
What
- 30,000 square feet of state-of-the-art classrooms, offices and meeting spaces
- Renovations and adaptive reuse of Roessner Hall by Spillman Farmer Architects received the award from the AIA Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter
Where
- The corner of Rockland and North 13th streets, the campus’s bustling northern gateway
When
- Construction began in summer 2013 and doors opened for the fall 2014 semester
Why
- To provide modern, dedicated learning space for several signature Albright College programs
- To enhance synergy and collaboration among related departments
- To create a center for programs that serve the campus community and conduct community outreach
- To showcase the interdisciplinary, collaborative approach that is at the heart of the Albright educational experience
Learning Spaces
This modern, 30,000-square-foot facility provides significantly upgraded space for all daytime classes for the accounting, economics and business, and political science departments, and for evening outreach and instruction by the Accelerated Degree Programs and the Center for Excellence in Local Government. By consolidating related department classroom demands into a single, integrated facility, Albright has created a hub for each of these departments and a sense of ownership, allowing faculty members and administrators to shape and maintain the spaces they need to be most effective for students.
- 1 lecture hall
- 9 classrooms
- 3 computer labs
- 1 seminar/conference room
Faculty Spaces
Located strategically throughout Roessner Hall, faculty offices provide truly active and collaborative learning opportunities, and are equipped with technology that allows for collaborative, investigative learning. To promote increased interaction between students and faculty, break-out spaces are located near faculty offices and incorporate transparency and natural light that permeates both areas.
Supplemental Spaces
Teaching and learning have evolved a great deal over the last several years. Collaborative learning, group study and less-structured gatherings have gained prominence alongside more traditional classroom environments. The open spaces and inviting, active environs of the Center for Business and Civic Leadership reflect this new reality, fostering an education that challenges and engages as it imparts knowledge.
Supplemental spaces include:
- The forum, a central, airy hub for interaction and informal gathering
- Break-out spaces around classrooms, allowing for more intimate interaction and work spaces for classroom learning to spill out into the public realm
- A global media lounge and current periodical reading room, providing resources for students to stay current in their fields, encouraging discourse and debate, and giving rise to a community of learning
- An active coffee and snack bar, supporting the needs of day and evening students