Each is equipped with tablet arm chair seating, marker boards, projection screen and window shades. Students using these facilities should be provided with the same environments as found on campus. We recommend that all off-campus classrooms conform to the Minimum Standards outlined in Recommendation 14. Whether new or existing, all learning spaces should abide by the same standards and be rooted in the same educational principles. The adherence to such a goal is perhaps easiest with new construction if the key decision makers are committed to those principles from the very beginning.
Key decisions begin with the funding process.
Thus, the cost of instruction, the cost of classroom care, the effect of state regulations and expectations, the teaching preferences of faculty, and classroom scheduling often conflict with much of what we know is best for learning. From the scheduling point of view, larger is better, since most classes can be scheduled into sixty station rooms, even though only twenty or thirty students may actually enroll. From the custodial supervisor's point of view, classrooms with fixed seating are easier to maintain. From the point of view of the faculty member larger is often better to accommodate various groups and permit secure administration of exams. From the point of view of government officials, larger is better because since the square footage required per seat drops as the size of the classroom increases.