St. Bonaventure University School of Education students took a few minutes out of their lunch hour Wednesday to say thanks to Ron Sutton, senior vice president and trust officer at Key Bank.

Sutton was on hand for the grand opening of the Manley Education Collaboration Center, formerly an outdated computer lab in B-62 Plassmann Hall, home to the School of Education.

Sutton oversees the F.T. and Anna C. Manley Trust, which awarded the university a $14,165 grant to create the new study and social space.

“This new space will not only benefit students in the School of Education, but also the larger community,” said Dr. Lisa Buenaventura, dean of the School of Education.

“Because many of the projects and research the students and faculty undertake focus on teaching and learning within the schools, the results of their work will continue to have ongoing and lasting positive outcomes for children and youth in the schools, as well as the teachers and administrators who may benefit from professional development activities that our faculty and students undertake.”

The center is equipped with state of the art technology and furniture designed to create a collaborative academic work space accessible to School of Education undergraduate and graduate students. The center serves as:

• a collaborative space with technology for classroom and research projects for students to work individually or in small groups;
• sufficient space for students to work with faculty on proposed or funded research;
• storage space for various instructional and project materials that the students use;
• and a community gathering place for students, particularly those who only take evening classes.

The center includes two computer work stations with a printer; two large tables centered around a 55-inch, wall-mounted monitor for group work; new furniture; and locking storage cabinets for instructional and project materials.

The proposal was co-authored by Buenaventura and Mike Hoffman, associate provost and chief information officer.

“I also want to thank Dan Donner and Tim Hill in information technology, our School of Ed student and faculty planning group, and our facilities staff for their efforts in making this a reality,” Buenaventura said.

Established in 1989, the Manley Trust provides grants to charitable causes, organizations and educational institutions in Cattaraugus and Allegany counties.

St. Bonaventure has received a number of Manley grants over the last few years, including ones for a video conferencing center, the creation of SBU’s Veterans Center, equipment for the university’s Health and Human Performance Lab, and new technology for the digital media center in Friedsam Memorial Library.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, we believe in the goodness of every person and in the ability of every person to do extraordinary things. St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them. Named the #1 regional university value in New York and #2 in the North by U.S. News and World Report, we are establishing pathways to internships, graduate schools and careers in the context of our renowned liberal arts tradition.