ASSESSMENT OF THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Wells Quad has a unique physical environment, given its long history and years of renovations and retrofitting. As an Assistant Coordinator, I spend nearly all of my time at work in Wells Quad. Specifically, I spent my time in the West wing of Memorial Hall. The following sections will describe the synthetic environment of Wells Quad and discuss its informal learning spaces, Cunningham & Tabur's (2012) Hierarchy of Learning Space Attributes model, and the "symbol of place" (Strange & Banning, 2015) that the building emulates.
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SYNTHETIC ENVIRONMENT
MEMORIAL HALL WEST
Memorial Hall is separated into two wings: East and West. The West wing is located to the left of the archway when facing the front of the building. The West wing includes important areas that I work in nearly everyday such as the center desk, residence life office, and RA resource room. An interesting architectural feature of Memorial Hall is that the building is very narrow, resulting in long, wide corridors through the center of the building with spaces pushed toward the walls. This ensures that nearly every space in Memorial Hall receives natural light. As Banning & Strange (2015) explain, the presence of features as simple as windows attract students to spaces and contribute to learning.
RESIDENCE LIFE OFFICE
Conveniently located near the center desk and RA resource room, the Residence Life Office is shared between the Residence Life Coordinator, Operations Coordinator, and Assistant Coordinator. The office has two large L-shaped desks and includes basic office setups, including dual monitors, phone, shredder, printer, and filing cabinets. Although it can sometimes be challenging to share an office with other colleagues, our work schedules are flexible enough that our hours rarely overlap. An unique feature of the Residence Life Office is that the Formal Living Room is located directly outside. The Formal Living room is a quiet space that is popular for students looking to study, nap, or have some quiet time. This space provides a comfortable waiting area for students visiting the office, and gives opportunities for professional staff members to connect with students spending time in the area. Additionally, the RA Resource Room is conveniently located near the Residence Life Office, making it easy to collaborate and casually connect with student staff.
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INFORMAL LEARNING SPACES
WELLS QUAD COMMON AREAS
Memorial and Goodbody Halls have common areas on each floor that include numerous amenities such as comfortable furniture, quiet spaces, technology (TVs, computers, projectors, DVD players, etc.), and even fully equipped kitchens. Through my experience as an Assistant Coordinator and using Strange & Banning's (2016) explanation of incidental learning, I would consider the common areas of Wells Quad to be informal learning spaces.
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WELLS QUAD LIBRARY
In 1940, Indiana University Bloomington established its first residence library in what is now Colins Living-Learning Center. Today, IU is known for its residence hall libraries, offering the amenity in 10 residence centers as of 2023 (Services-Libraries, Residential Programs and Services, n.d.) Residence Hall Libraries at IU allow residents of any building to check out books, games, and equipment and the services provided are covered through student's activity fee. Additionally, Residence Hall Libraries partner closely with Residence Life staff and RAs, providing movie rights, information, and programming opportunities for students in the residence halls. Although academic in nature, these spaces serve as informal learning spaces that enhance and promote student development.
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HIERARCHY OF LEARNING SPACE ATTRIBUTES
Using Cunningham & Tabur's (2012) Hierarchy of Learning Space Attributes model as described by Strange & Banning (2015), Wells Quad informal learning spaces could be described using the following attributes:
ACCESS AND LINKAGES:
Wells Quad is located near the Old Crescent area of IU, which is where most academic buildings for undergraduate students is. Furthermore, Wells Quad provides efficient access to important resources such as the campus and local bus lines,
USES AND ACTIVITIES:
Wells Quad equips residents with numerous resources and technologies related to collaboration, furniture, and equipment. For example, the lower level of Memorial Hall has a large computer lab with access to printers for residents to use. Additionally, Wells Quad has collaboration spaces available to residents at all times that feature an enclosed, private space for students to study, collaborate, or practice presentations.
SOCIABILITY:
As described above, Wells Quad has multiple community spaces on each floor and large gathering spaces in Memorial Hall that facilitate community and sociability. Furthermore, given its small population, Wells Quad is typically a quiet and peaceful space that allows students to be independent, but still collaborate and meet peers in common spaces.
COMFORT AND IMAGE:
Wells Quad was historically an academic building. Additionally, provided its prime location in an academic hub on campus, the building emulates a "sense of scholarship" for students as they feel surrounded by peers, staff, faculty, and facilities related to academics.
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SYMBOL OF PLACE
SYMBOLIC ARCHITECTURE
Despite major renovations, Wells Quad retains its charm and historic architectural features. Strange & Banning (2015, p. 16) argue that architectural features, "influence students' attributions of individual success, stimulation, and expectations for quality of education." Therefore, it is important to recognize key architectural features of Wells Quad. For example, the corner stone of Memorial Hall, depicting the year "1924" when ground was initially broken, remains a prominent feature visible at the front of the building. Additionally, Memorial Hall is scattered with intricate and interesting masonry designs, such as an owl. A plaque at the entrance of Memorial Hall reads, "Evil Spirits Cannot Enter An Inhabited House Unless Invited, Sir Walter Scott". Finally, many original architectural features of Wells Quad remain today, such as Goodbody Hall's iconic winding staircase and leaded stained glass windows.
The architectural features above influence student behaviors and attitudes in the building, as a sense of history, academics, and visual appeal set an intentional tone. As Strange & Banning (2015) explain, physical features of campuses convey a specific tone, such as an inconsideration for students with disabilities when wheelchair ramps are not available. However, for Wells Quad, the tone being conveyed to students is that Indiana University and Residence Life value scholarship, academics, and student comfort in the residence centers, thus contributing to a welcoming and inclusive environment (Strange & Banning, 2015).