Madison College has introduced an innovative solution to provide students and faculty with a space for relaxation and privacy – glass cubicles located in some college hallways.
These cubicles can serve as a serene retreat to unwind, a productive environment to focus on studies or a secluded spot to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
For the past 23 years, Ally Adams, a facilities designer at Madison College, has been dedicated to creating a comfortable and welcoming student environment. Her passion for enhancing students’ campus experiences has always been her top priority. From day one, she has worked tirelessly to ensure that the campus feels like a second home to students.
“My goal is to create a comfortable and inviting atmosphere at Madison College, with various specially designed corners that will make students feel at home,” Adams said.
“It’s a team effort,” Adams added.
The decision to acquire and employ these units was a collaborative effort inspired by the concept of crafting multi-functional spaces by using adaptable furniture instead of constructing more costly traditional rooms. It is a very creative, smart idea that saves money on the long term.
However, these units come at a considerable cost. But the expense is justifiable when students require a private space.
Single pod units are around $8,000 and larger pod units for multiple individuals are around $25,000, depending on the interior features and furniture, Adams said.
But prior to making any purchases, Adams and her team provided several sample units from various manufacturers for students, staff and faculty to test out on campus. This was to ensure that the units would indeed be useful and helpful for the intended users.
To ensure the effectiveness of the cubicles, every unit is equipped with a machine-readable QR code that enables users to provide information regarding their status as either a student or staff/faculty member, the purpose of their pod usage and their feedback on their experience.
“We had wonderful positive feedback. The takeaway was that they were very well received and that students would seem to use them the most for a multitude of needs, online class, have a phone conversation in privacy instead of the hallway, study alone in quiet space, study as a group, relax/respite and even taking a quick cat nap if needed in the larger one,” Adams said.
Adams said Madison College constantly strives to develop solutions that support both students and staff/faculty.
“The college is committed to providing spaces and amenities for students to find an area between classes etc. that they can be comfortable in and accomplish whatever it is they need. These types of spaces further support and embrace the sense of community at Madison College,” Adams said.