Panola College honors the Charles C. Matthews Foundation with the naming of the new Collaboration Room. (L to R) Vern Reeder, Robert Underwood, John Conway, Richard Ballenger, and David Bush (Not pictured) Jim Payne
January 18, 2019 - On January 15, 2019, the Charles C. Matthews Foundation Board visited the M.P. Baker Library at Panola College where Dr. Greg Powell, President of Panola College, presented the plaque for the new Charles C. Matthews Collaboration Room. The Collaboration Station recently donated by the Board is located within the room and will be utilized by student study groups and for group projects.
“We are grateful for the continued support from the Charles C. Matthews Foundation Board,” said Dr. Powell. “Their generosity has continued to meet our students’ needs and help them to be successful in their academic careers.”
Two Panola Early College High School students, Samuel Brazzel and Tad Crager, along with Library staff Shay Joines, demonstrated the new collaboration station for the Board.
The M.P. Baker Library at Panola College had more than 45,000 patrons pass through their doors over the past year, and one of the most common requests the Library receives is the need for more study rooms. The Library currently has eight separate study rooms that are in constant use.
Students have an increasing need to come together as a group and work seamlessly on projects and through the donation of a Collaboration Station students can effortlessly connect with those near and far. Students sitting at the lower table will be able to connect to the monitor through their laptops and work simultaneously on a project. The station would be able to comfortably seat 10-12 students with the option to include students virtually as well.
As the working world is becoming increasingly more technological, students are expected to know how to efficiently collaborate on projects with co-workers, customers, and patients through technology once they enter the workplace. This station allows students access to the most current technology to prepare them to work with teams no matter the teammate’s geographic location.
In addition to the collaboration station, the Charles C. Matthews Foundation also donated 15 study pods to increase the number of study locations for the students. While most of the study rooms in the Library have seating for multiple students, the rooms are often in use by a single individual. Students are looking for a more private and focused space to study.
The study pods are private carrels that create havens for students. The surrounding walls give the student their own personal space to study, work on their assignment by laptop, or just generally find a quiet spot to unwind while preparing for their next class. The study pods are also equipped with power outlets for students to utilize putting the students’ worries at bay and giving them a greater ability to focus. The study pods do all of this without the need to build additional rooms. There are 12 single study pods as well as 3 duo pods that allow for small group studying.
“It is fun to watch the students discover the new study pods,” said Library Director, Cristie Ferguson. “The spring semester has just begun, and the study pods are staying full. The new study pods and the collaboration station are wonderful additions to the Library and will be well used.”
The Collaboration Station in the Charles C. Matthews Foundation Collaboration Room.
The 15 new study pods are located on the first floor of the M.P. Baker Library.
