Amidst a fast-changing educational landscape driven by digital technology and students’ evolving needs, Florida International University officially inaugurated its six-story, state-of-the-art Management and New Growth Opportunities (MANGO) building in January 2015.
MANGO is a key component of FIU’s strategy of growth and entrepreneurship designed to expand classroom space, add laboratories and support innovation.
The 107,912-square-foot building has over 12,000 square feet of potential study space, over 7,000 square feet of classrooms and labs, and more than 340 office spaces.
As the new home to the School of Accounting, MANGO has brought faculty and staff into the same office, increasing collegiality and collaboration.
“It fosters working together on research projects,” said Ruth Ann McEwen, director of the School of Accounting and senior associate dean of the College of Business. “We’ve also added a layer of new technology to our classrooms.” The building also houses the Department of International Business, Undergraduate Academic Advising, Office of Global Initiatives and the SunTrust FIU Financial Wellness Clinic.
MANGO delivers two additional benefits: more dining options – Panda Express, Starbucks and Taco Bell – plus a place to study on the west side of FIU’s campus. Dynamic spaces use technology to enhance face-to-face, online and hybrid learning. The building’s second floor offers state-of-the-art classrooms outfitted with the latest technology, including sophisticated projectors, document cameras, and touch whiteboards.
Advanced course capture technology can digitally record all lectures, allowing students to listen to classes they may have missed and to review concepts they didn’t understand the first time in class. MANGO’s four break-out rooms have TVs with a built-in computer plus a webcam, making it easier for students to work in groups and with peers in other countries.
It has emerged as a center for education and collaboration that creates new opportunities for students, faculty and staff.