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OKLAHOMA CITY -- University of Oklahoma President David L. Boren announced today that The Inasmuch Foundation of Oklahoma City is making a $1.5 million gift in support of the renovation of space in the OU College of Law library. The announcement was made at the March meeting of the OU Board of Regents.
The library project will transform 8,000 square feet of the Donald E. Pray Law Library into a new Collaborative Learning Center for cooperative group work using the latest in multimedia technology.
“This remarkable gift will transform existing space in the law library into a Collaborative Learning Center that will encourage our law students to work more closely together and to use technology in a way that enhances their understanding of the law and their ability to communicate with others,” Boren said.
In recognition of that support and in honor of Inasmuch Foundation’s dedication to strengthening educational institutions, President Boren said he would recommend that the OU Board of Regents name the renovated space in honor of the Inasmuch Foundation.
“Since 1982, Inasmuch Foundation and its founder Edith Kinney Gaylord have provided grants totaling $2.3 million to the OU College of Law. We are certainly pleased to continue our support of the College of Law to help ensure that students graduate with the skills necessary to serve the community in which they live and thrive in our technology-driven world,” said William J. Ross, Chairman of the Inasmuch Foundation.
The new collaborative learning center will feature four new multimedia rooms; moveable whiteboard desks, stands and walls; dual-monitor stations; cooperative learning spaces for student collaboration; and a “genius station,” staffed by information technology, library and career services professionals.
The OU College of Law was first in the nation to launch a college-wide digital initiative, which aims to maximize students’ competitive edge through technology. Each incoming OU law student is provided an iPad at no cost and required to attend extensive training sessions to ensure technological proficiency with the equipment.
“With the Inasmuch Foundation gift, the OU College of Law is not only the first law school in the nation to have a college-wide digital initiative, but also the first to have such an important space dedicated to giving OU law students an advantage in the digital age,” said law Dean Joseph J. Harroz Jr., noting that law graduates must be prepared to research, annotate, organize and present in the digital medium.
Previously, the Inasmuch Foundation had established four multimedia rooms in the law school to foster and record group exercises for moot court and client counseling. These conference room spaces feature flat-screen monitors, cameras and video conferencing.
In addition to OU College of Law, the Inasmuch Foundation’s recent contributions to OU include a $500,000 lead gift in support of the Scholars Walk.
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