To centralize and support technology programs and functions across campus, The University of Tampa announces its newest facility – the Technology Building: a new, six-story, 105,000-square-foot academic building in the heart of campus.
The Technology Building will house many academic programs related to information technology with state-of-the-art labs and audio-visual equipment. The University has over a dozen undergraduate and graduate information and technology programs, and the program will pull many of these academic programs together into one facility, including: computer science, business information technology, management information systems, cybersecurity, business analytics, SAP certification and more.
Additionally, the building will provide the home for the Department of Communication and the Department of Film, Animation and New Media.
The building will also be a hub for UT’s Information Technology and Security (ITS) organization and will provide a service desk to assist students and the campus community with various diagnostic and service needs. A newly formed Advanced Digital Literacy Center will also be housed in the building and will offer regular educational programs, modules and certificate programs to elevate campus technology knowledge, skills and applications.
The Technology Building will be constructed just north of the existing Graduate and Health Studies Building (GHS), which was opened in Fall 2018. A sky bridge linking floors four through six will join the two buildings. The combined 191,000-square-foot complex will be known as the Health and Technology Complex.
The sky bridge between buildings allows for additional functional space – including 10 classrooms and a multipurpose room – with superb campus views amidst the pedestrian corridor between the two buildings. The building will mirror the architecture of GHS and UT’s campus, with red brick, precast concrete, metal and glass.
In the new building, the ITS Service Desk, the Advanced Digital Literacy Center and a large computer lab will be easily accessible on the first floor. The second floor will include the Academic Success Center, a new Transfer Student Center, as well as Learning Resources/Academic Tutoring and Testing Centers. The third floor will host ITS offices, conference rooms, and an information technology training area that will host in-person and remote technology training sessions for faculty and staff, as well as customized individualized and group workshops. The fourth floor will feature classrooms, workspaces, a conference room, a training room and faculty/staff offices for the Department of Communication and the Department of Film, Animation and New Media. The fifth floor will hold offices, labs and classrooms to support the Information and Technology Management Department, and the cybersecurity program, which doubles the current space for its program and adds a dedicated area for a Security Operations Center (SOC). The SOC provides valuable learning opportunities for students in monitoring, detecting and responding to potential security incidents in a protected simulation environment. The top floor of the Technology Building, the sixth, will house the Computer Science Department, faculty offices, a conference room as well as two huddle spaces, study areas, four classrooms and three specialized computer science research lab spaces. A unique Makers Space will also provide an area where computer science students can creatively engineer their own computer or other technologic creations.
The building is expected to be completed in Fall 2022.
UT President Ronald Vaughn said UT’s substantial investment in information technology and security is a great complement to enhance the Tampa Bay community’s efforts to develop a large hub of companies focused on information technology sciences and management of these critical areas.
“UT will help to provide the talent pipeline needed for this crucial sector that will lead the business development of tomorrow’s Tampa Bay economy,” Vaughn said.
Construction of the Technology Building will be paid for through a combination of donations, capital reserves and recently-issued bond proceeds.
The Technology Building follows a number of new or completely renovated spaces built on campus since 2000 that function for primarily academic purposes. It most recently follows construction of the Ferman Center for the Arts, which opened in January 2021.
In alignment with UT’s commitment to create a responsible, efficient, healthy and sustainable campus, the Technology Building was designed to be a candidate for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The Technology Building is being designed and constructed by The Beck Group.
The University of Tampa is a private, comprehensive university located on 110 acres on the riverfront in downtown Tampa. Known for academic excellence, personal attention and real-world experience in its undergraduate and graduate programs, the University serves approximately 10,000 students from 50 states and most of the world’s 195 countries.
