Lab expands health program

DEARBORN—In an effort to expand the instructional capacity and capabilities of the health-careers program at Henry Ford Community College, the new Health Careers Education Center was built.

The 75.000-square-foot center is a three-story, steel-framed structure with a partial lower level. The exterior building envelope is a combination of brick and insulated metal panel. The massing of the new center is designed for two distinct blocks, joined by a three-story glazed atrium. The new center is equipped with teaching technology, total bed-care systems and interactive video. The center adds 12 technical/science laboratories, 16 classrooms, four computer labs with distance-learning capabilities, tutoring/group study areas, meeting rooms and conference facilities.

Part 7

Renovating for expansion

CHICAGO—Robert Morris College was faced with many challenges when it moved from an existing location to a bigger, renovated building in downtown Chicago. The building, an eight-story his­toric landmark, underwent renovations that doubled the size of the college. The new Robert Morris Centre helped to alleviate the school's lack of space, as well as updated and integrated technology into its classrooms.

Renovations, which were completed last November, expanded the library and added additional computer labs, classrooms, offices and an studios. The 165,000-square-foot building also fea­tures enlarged faculty spaces to accommodate more aca­demic activities and personal advising. The $15 million renovation program also in­cluded upgrading most class­rooms with multimedia podiums, and incorporating a computer monitor, keyboard, VCR and document camera for projecting images.

A distance-learning class­room was added to provide for off-site classes, and an audio-visual lounge in the library offers easy access to VCRs and audio players with headphones. The computer repair room incorporates new equipment to train technical repair and network-systems personnel. Architect for the project was Phelan Associates.

Vocabulary

capacity and capability - вместимость и возможности;

health-career - профессия, связанная со здравоохранением (медициной);

glazed atrium - застекленный переход;

distinct - явный, очевидный; здесь: отдельный;

tutoring - руководство группой студентов (= классное руководство);

space - здесь: пространство

Ex. Match the words with their Russian equivalents.

Ex. Translate the following phrases from the text and use them in the translation below.

to be equipрed with, health-careers, distance-learning, conference facility, technical and science labs, liberal-arts studies, to be designed, a combination of brick and metal.

1. Здание представляет собой комбинацию кирпича и отдельных металлических пластин.

2. Это - попытка расширить возможности учебного центра по обучению медицинским профессиям.

3. Новый центр спроектирован в виде двух отдельных блоков, соединяемых трехэтажным застекленным переходом.

4. Здесь есть также 12 научно-технических лабораторий, множество классных аудиторий, конференц-зал и 4 компьютерных лаборатории, дающие возможность дистанционного обучения.

5. Это помещение предназначено для изучения свободных искусств.

6. Центр оборудован (системой) интерактивного видео.

Ex. Answer the following questions:

1. What for was the new Health Careers Education Center was built? At what college?

2. What does the center look like?

3. What is the new center equipped with?

4. What new facilities does the center add to the existing ones?

Text II- A

Students at the University of Pittsburg finish their classes One Week Earlier

Rice University's course work wraps up next week. And at Tulane, the last day of classes is April, 29. The calendar says it is springtime. But for college students, summer is here.

These early vacation breaks are part of a shortening of the school year at college nation-wide. Data collected by the National Association of Scholars* shows that the length of the average college year has shrunk 35 days since 1964. Yet over the same period, inflation-adjusted* college costs have doubled. The result: Students and their families are paying more for less. In

fact, at the nation's elite universities, the combination of higher tuition and condensed class time means an education prices out at about $1,000 a week. The reason for the abbreviated academic calendar is largely economic. Universities discovered they can save money on operating expenses by shortening the school year. Teachers like it because they have more time for research.

Students don't complain because they can earn more in their summer jobs. And the

practice of trimming away a class day here, while tacking on* another holiday there, is less obvious - and controversial* - than other cost-cutting strategies. So who's hurt? The student earning a depreciated diploma, for starters. During the same period that colleges sliced away one-fifth of their academic calendars, they also shortened the length of the standard class by

3.5 minutes. As a result of this double decrease, educators teach less and students are given a shorter time to absorb* class material. Researchers who track the trend* see it as part of the overall decline in rigor at American Universities. They say it is no coincidence that the shorter school year has been phased in at the same time colleges have lightened academic demands on students by dropping thesis requirements, abolishing* comprehensive exams and reducing scientific lab work.

Yet by reducing class time, colleges aren't cutting students any breaks in the long run. The complex subject matter covered in many university courses is best learned through repeated, long-term exposure*. And because students are spending less time in class, they have fewer

opportunities to glean* knowledge and expertise from their professors. Researchers also believe the pressures of the compressed schedule contribute to the growing number of students unable to complete their degree requirements within the traditional four years. This month, the American College Testing program reported a record low for students earning their bachelor's degrees on schedule. Even within five years of college enrolment, only 52.8 % of college students earn a degree. That may not be a problem for universities. After all, they save

money by shortening the school year and then collect extra tuition* from students who can't finish their course work during the shrunken semesters. Yet the students getting a college education - and the families who are funding it - are investing more and getting less.

For them, summer has arrived. But that's no reason to celebrate.

(USA TODAY, Editorial. April 117, 1998).

Vocabulary

* scholar - ученый;

* inflation-adjusted - регулируемые инфляцией;

* to tack on - добавлять, присоединять;

* controversial - противоречивый;

* to absorb - впитывать, поглощать; здесь: изучать;

* to track the trend - прослеживать/наблюдать тенденцию;

* to abolish - отменять;

* long-term exposure - долгий срок для закрепления (знаний);

* to glean - собирать по крупицам;

* extra tuition - дополнительная плата за обучение.

Text II- A

Part 2