Reading, PA-Wednesday, January 19 - Over 50 people attended the official ribbon-cutting ceremony of the newly completed Academic Learning Commons and Tutoring and Learning Center in the Yocum Library on the Reading Area Community College campus. In a 2021 survey of RACC students, several hundred survey respondents expressed a need for more spaces on campus for private study, group study, and to meet with a tutor or instructor outside of the classroom. 

RACC administrators were more than happy to meet this need, and by all accounts, the new space has exceeded their expectations. The Learning Commons will provide an excellent environment for collaborative learning in a state-of-the-art facility. Features include private and communal seating and collaboration areas, advanced connectivity, as well as accommodations for eating and refreshments. Those using the space will be able to draw inspiration from the panoramic views of the City of Reading, including the Penn Street Bridge and the Schuylkill River. 

In addition to modifying the 6,600 square foot space, which was previously used as meeting and conference areas, the project also includes a renovation of the library’s iconic “Tower Room,” which is a 500 square foot glass-enclosed meeting room overlooking the east side of the campus.

“The new spaces support RACC’s academic mission and interactive teaching format, combining collaborative spaces with small to mid-sized classrooms. To provide an opportunity for physical and intellectual collaboration, the Learning Commons is proportioned to give student, tutors and instructors room to move around and interact, and for students to interact with each other,” says RACC President Dr. Susan Looney.

”We have acted strategically to address this critical need in a way that provides students with options.  In this space, they will now have an area in which to study alone, to study in groups, to meet with an instructor outside of the classroom and to work with a tutor, depending on their need,” says RACC Dean of Instruction, Kevin Coots.

“The Commons will encourage learning and practicing working together in groups to accomplish goals.  We know the increasing value of this skill set in the eyes of employers as we prepare our students for the workforce of the present and the future,” he continues.

To learn more about the Academic Learning Commons and Tutoring and Learning Center on the RACC campus, call 610-607-6224.