Lee University Announces Plans for New Engineering Building
Cleveland, TN–Lee University has announced the launch of a campaign to establish a new School of Engineering, which will include the construction of a dedicated building for the program.
President Paul Conn shared the news publicly for the first time in a media release, along with an article in Torch magazine, which was published on March 24. The plans were announced to faculty and students earlier this semester.
The groundbreaking for the new Engineering building is scheduled for “sometime this summer.” The 30,000-square-foot facility will focus on engineering and computer science.
This will be the first major new building constructed at Lee since 2018.
Conn says the preliminary planning for the building was completed during the last half of 2024, and the work is now in the hands of the architects, who expect to complete final design and drawings within the next four months. The timeline calls for ground-breaking this summer, with the building to be ready for occupancy by August 2026, in time for the fall semester.
The new building will be located near the corner of Central Avenue and Paul Conn Parkway, on the south end of the Lee campus. Along with existing university acreage, Lee has recently acquired additional property in the area to accommodate the new building.
The cost of the Engineering start-up will be $15 million, all of which is to be raised in a fund-raising campaign among Lee supporters and alumni, both in Cleveland and elsewhere. Conn began the “quiet phase” of the campaign at the beginning of January and is going public with it this week.
“We are off to a great start,” said Conn. “Our goal is to have the entire $15 million raised during this year, and we expect our friends and alumni to rally behind this project.”
The new building will be a two-story brick structure which will include classrooms, numerous specialized labs, office space for faculty, and work areas for students.
“We are sticking with the familiar Lee architectural style of red brick, pre-cast concrete exterior features, and lots of glass that will let plenty of light into the interior,” said Conn. “It will fit in beautifully with the ‘Lee look,’ and will really brighten up that southeastern corner of our campus.”
The general contractor for the new building is Tri-Con, Inc., a local commercial builder that has completed many major public buildings in the community, along with most of the Lee campus. The lead architect working with Tri-Con on the project is Rardin and Carroll, Inc.
Fundraising efforts within the community have officially begun, led by a team headed by Vanessa Hammond, executive director of University Relations. The team also includes Kristen Murray Grisham, director of community engagement; Andrea Patrick, director of alumni relations; and Carman Lastoria, director of donor relations.
“This is such a generous community,” said Hammond. “Businesses and individuals in Cleveland, as well as Bradley and Hamilton counties, support many different programs at Lee, and we expect to see a great deal of enthusiasm for our new engineering program.”
Lee’s engineering start-up is part of the Department of Mathematical Sciences, which is chaired by Dr. Blayne Carroll, a PhD graduate of Emory University. Lee has been developing the basis for an engineering program for several years, according to Dr. Jean Eledge, vice president for academics at Lee.
“In 1990, Dr. Conn signed an agreement with Chancellor Steven Angle of UTC for a 3-2 program in which engineering students attend Lee for the first three years, then transfer to UTC for two years,” says Eledge. “That program has gone very well, and we appreciate the support and encouragement of UTC and Tennessee Tech, where we have a similar program.”
“For quite some time, students interested in both engineering and attending Lee had to choose between the two, but no longer,” says Carroll. “We believe we can build a high-quality engineering program at Lee, and this new facility, dedicated specifically to engineering, is the next logical step in our growth. It reflects our strong commitment to ensuring that Lee students have the opportunity to earn a first-class engineering education.”
The primary degree will be a Bachelor of Science degree in general engineering, according to Eledge. “We believe there is lots of demand for this program, and we expect it to experience significant growth. As we get further along, we will add specialized areas.”
Eledge said the Lee Board of Directors authorized the beginning of a full engineering major at Lee in 2022 and at that time a new building to house the program was identified as a goal by then-president Dr. Mark Walker. Engineering students are already enrolled at Lee in the new program, and an active effort to recruit additional faculty began last summer.
“I’m incredibly excited about the new engineering building at Lee! It’s amazing to see the university expand both its campus and engineering program with this state-of-the-art facility,” said Joshua Savoy, a freshman engineering science major from Sharpsburg, Georgia. “This new building will offer incredible opportunities to work with cutting-edge technology and learn from dedicated professors who are committed to providing the best environment for students like me to pursue our dreams and build successful careers in engineering.”
The primary body for accreditation of engineering programs in American higher education is called ABET (Accrediting Board of Engineering and Technology), and according to Eledge, Lee is designing its program, as well as the new building, in alignment with that organization. “We are optimistic that we are on track to seek full accreditation with ABET as soon as our program is ready for that step,” says Eledge. “All our academic programs at Lee have the highest level of national accreditation, and engineering will not be an exception.”
“This new engineering building is a game-changer for our students and for the future of the program,” says Dr. Marcie Williams, assistant professor of engineering. “It gives us the space and tools we need to keep learning hands-on, grounded in service, and focused on solving real-world problems that matter.”
Lee officials collaborated with local industry and business leaders to assess the feasibility of the program. Conn and others also met with members of Cleveland Associated Industries to seek input on the project. A larger task force of local leaders is now being formed to help guide the development of both the new building and the academic program as a whole.
(Source: Lee University)
