EKU Receives $1 Million-Plus Gift for Innovative Project

“The students, faculty and staff of Eastern Kentucky University are eternally grateful to Ron and Sherrie Lou Noel for their investment in the students of this institution,” said Whitlock. “Their generosity will allow Eastern to offer students an inspiring and creative academic environment within the University Library that is uniquely conceptualized beyond traditional research typically offered by academic libraries. Thanks to Ron and Sherrie Lou, The Studio for Academic Creativity will radically transform the learning experience for our students.”

The Noels are long-standing supporters of the University and many of its programs. They have also provided considerable assistance is helping the University engage alumni and friends in the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati areas. Ron, a 1964 EKU graduate, has served for several years on the Board of Directors of the Eastern Kentucky University Foundation, the organization that secures philanthropic support for the University. He currently serves as the Foundation’s Vice Chair.

EKU Libraries, in collaboration with The Writing Center and the Department of Communication, has planned The Studio for Academic Creativity, an academic and inspiring new space to house a community of writing, research and speaking experts. “The Studio will be cutting edge because of the integration of academic support services that traditionally exist separately,” said Carrie Cooper, dean of EKU Libraries.

The Ron and Sherrie Lou Noel Studio for Academic Creativity, part of a $2.8 million renovation project, will provide research, writing, speaking and production services in a central location at the core of Eastern’s original Crabbe Library built in 1924. When The Ron and Sherrie Lou Noel Studio for Academic Creativity opens its doors in Spring 2009, the historic grand entrance to Crabbe Library is expected to reopen as a second entrance. Further renovations and staffing across the grand reading room will complement and interact with the services and activities within The Studio. This space will include a state-of-the-art classroom, an outdoor reading porch and quieter consultation spaces.

The Ron and Sherrie Lou Noel Studio for Academic Creativity embodies the standard Eastern Kentucky University has set internally in its Quality Enhancement Plan, which focuses the institution on graduating informed, critical and creative thinkers who communicate effectively, said Cooper.

Many academic libraries across the nation are recreating their spaces to accommodate a changing curriculum and a technologically savvy student body, Cooper said. “Students need flexible seating that can be easily reconfigured to accommodate large and small groups. They also expect technology equipped spaces to practice presentations, develop ideas and create graphic representations."

“According to NCES (National Center for Education Statistics), Eastern leads the regional comprehensive universities across the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and ranks near the top among similar peer institutions nationally, in the number of students who enter the Library,” said Cooper. “The Noel Studio will place services that are critical to student success in the direct path of thousands of students each day. Having a positive impact on the academic performance of our students by helping with writing, research and speaking skills is the desired outcome.”

Dr. Rodney Piercey , Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research, said that The Studio will enable students to work with librarians, writing and speech coaches, and technical experts to develop research strategies, organize and refine ideas, deliver articulate presentations and create high quality products. In addition, the academic space will provide “dynamic, technologically sophisticated learning areas designed to inspire individual and collaborative learning."