Mount St. Mary's unveils improved $9M academic center
Sep. 10—Mount St. Mary's University devoted more than $9 million to renovating and expanding the Knott Academic Center at its Emmitsburg campus.
The renovations took place during the summers, starting in 2019, according to Donna Klinger, executive director of communications for the Mount. Expansion work started in the summer of 2021 and continued throughout the year.
The building's footprint grew by about 12,500 square feet. The original portion, roughly 49,000 square feet, was dedicated in 1975.
Tour groups wandered throughout the building Friday, admiring the finished product. Around them, students tapped away at computers or scurried to class, while others sipped on drinks from the new Saxbys Coffee or chitchatted in comfy seating areas.
That intersection of education and socialization is what the Mount was aiming for in the renovation and expansion, according to President Timothy Trainor.
"We really improved the living and learning environment on campus," he said Friday afternoon.
The building is the place of work for dozens of staff members and faculty, and is home to studies such as business and liberal arts, Trainor said.
Professor Patrice Flynn teaches and has an office in the building. She has been at the Mount for about 12 years and witnessed the various stages of development at the Knott Academic Center. Flynn said the improvements provide more spaces for students to hang out.
"It makes it much easier for me to interact with students," she said.
Flynn can walk down a hallway and find students lingering in gathering places. Though the building is academic in purpose, it has a much more social element to it now, she said.
Senior Emily Kisner has no classes in Knott, but she has another reason to visit.
"I am in the honors lounge every single day," she said. "It's a perfect, quiet community area."
The Honors Program now has a designated lounge and study space in the building. Professor Sarah Scott, director of the program, said students love it.
"They feel very cared for," Scott said.
Joseph Oleskey, a graduate assistant for the Honors Program, spends much of his time in the honors lounge advising students. There, they can get free snacks or a cup of coffee, practice a presentation or just vent. Oleskey said it creates community.
A white board in the lounge Friday said, "Have a great day and smile." Lo-fi music echoed from a small speaker. A wooden box sat waiting for students to submit suggestions.
One of the most popular additions is Saxbys Coffee. Students serve up coffee, iced tea, breakfast sandwiches, grilled cheese and more. "Student CEO" Chloe Knill, a senior, gets academic credit for running the operation.
"It's very popular," she said. "It's definitely brightened up the vibe in this building for sure."
In the Robert & Susan Bream Academic Commons, freshman Meshari Alanazi worked at a computer. He said his personal computer was not doing well, so he opted to tackle his homework on one of the communal computers.
Alanazi is a fan of the new and improved building. He commutes from Virginia, so he enjoys having a space to work between and after classes.
"I use this building a lot," Alanazi said.
Provost Boyd Creasman highlighted a few of the building's amenities on a tour. He said the classrooms have new heating and cooling systems that are much quieter than the old system. There is also Zoom technology in the classrooms to make it easier for students to join class remotely with their peers attending in person.
Personal touches, like displaying students' artwork or featuring student successes on TV screens in the halls, are meant to encourage others, Creasman said.
"We want this to be a showcase for student learning," he said.
Follow Mary Grace Keller on Twitter: @MaryGraceKeller
