Envisioned as a 22,000 square foot building, this new flagship facility will energize and sustain the entire campus. The sophisticated labs, multimedia classrooms and cutting-edge academic programs in software engineering and computer engineering will dramatically enhance the learning environment of Capitol College. The McGowan Academic Center will provide Capitol College with the ability to execute its strategic plan with greater emphasis on computer sciences, information technologies and the integration of engineering and business. The space will allow students to be organized in small groups according to their academic areas of interest. They will be able to participate in group activities, seminars and laboratory exercises. Campus events will have a professional environment for invited guests. The Computers and Mathematics Department will relocate to the McGowan Academic Center in a space designed to support the strategic plan.

A central feature of the McGowan Academic Center will be the Space Operations Institute. A NASA partnership with the College, SOI prepares students for careers in the space industry. NASA handed over control of three satellites to SOI, offering students first-hand experience working in mission operations. The McGowan Academic Center will house the administrative suite of SOI and a mission control room - the most essential component of the program. Although the college has seen rapid growth in its new software-oriented programs, the Computers and Mathematics Department has lacked adequate laboratories to accommodate the increased enrollment. The Center for Advanced Technology and Learning will provide dedicated laboratory support space and classrooms for students and faculty to see, use, experiment with and learn about the complex hardware, software and netware that define today's computer environment.

This center will provide a state-of-the-art educational launch pad for America's coming generations of innovators and engineers and will allow Capitol College to begin this new century with renewed commitments to the highest possible quality education. The design was based on goals established by the college. The result is a building that will serve the academic mission and college community well into the future.