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Mount St. Mary's University Expands In Frederick

JOSH POLTILOVE
The Frederick News-Post

FREDERICK, Md. (AP) -- An expansion at Mount St. Mary's University will allow the Frederick campus to almost double in size and offer more programming.

"We're growing to meet the needs of the community," said Tracy Boyd, campus communications manager.

Last year, the university signed a seven-year lease -- an investment of more than $3 million for the lease plus utilities -- to occupy all 28,000 square feet in its building on Spectrum Drive. The university previously leased 16,000 square feet of the building.

The expansion allows for the addition of several classrooms and offices, as well as a new lobby and lounge. The university also added signs and a new entrance.

"It gives us a lot of room for growth," Joe Lebherz, campus director, said of the expansion.

The campus at 5350 Spectrum Drive holds adult undergraduate and graduate classes. It also has a conference center.

About 400 to 500 students take classes at the location. The university hopes to see a 10 percent growth in credit hours next year after the expansion, Lebherz said.

"We've got a pretty aggressive growth plan," he said.

The expansion allows for new programs to be added to campus. They include courses in government contracting and a graduate certificate program in logistics and supply chain management.

The 12,000 feet of space the university added was previously used by a call center, but that business moved out several years ago.

"They left in the middle of the night like the Baltimore Colts," Boyd said.

Improvements are expected to be completed in the coming days, and the university is holding a by-invitation-only dedication ceremony April 17. A community open house is scheduled for May 8.

The main campus of Mount St. Mary's is in Emmitsburg. The university expanded to Frederick in 1999 and has been in its current building since 2002.

One class -- health care marketing -- is already being offered in the new space. Instructor Cyd Maubert likes the upgraded technology in the classroom and said the room's round tables facilitate discussion.

"The students absolutely love it," Maubert said.

Information from: The Frederick (Md.) News-Post, http://www.fredericknewspost.com

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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