Morrill Hall was the focus of today’s monthly conversation on WOI’s radio show “Talk of Iowa” Tuesday with President Gregory Geoffroy.

Fundraising efforts for Morrill Hall’s renovation are one-third completed, with $3 million pledged or donated toward the $9 million goal, Geoffroy said.

He said his goal is to let construction companies begin bidding in one year.

Representatives from each of the three programs proposed to be located in Morrill Hall spoke about their programs and how a space in Morrill Hall would help them.

Lynette Pohlman, director of University Museums, said Morrill Hall’s location would benefit the museums.

“It would be located at the pulse, at the heart and soul [of the university],” she said. “It is a wonderful opportunity for the museums to become an integrated part of the campus.”

University Museums is currently located in the Scheman Building. The Christian Petersen collection, with more than 700 works of art and more than 200 sketches and preliminary drawings of art on campus, would move into the renovated Morrill Hall.

Pohlman said a portion of the art would be located in the classrooms that will be located in Morrill Hall so teachers could integrate the work into their lectures and classes.

Geoffroy said Morrill Hall could possibly have a studio space on the ground floor, where visiting artists and faculty could work on their artwork and students can watch or visit with the artist.

Morrill Hall’s central location is also important to the Center for Teaching Excellence, said Corly Brooke, associate vice provost for the Center for Teaching Excellence.

The Center for Teaching Excellence is currently housed in an obscure location of the Lab of Mechanics Building, she said. The Center has outgrown its office space in the past 20 years and is at a critical point.

“We are maxed out,” Brooke said.

Mary Gregoire, professor and chairwoman of apparel education studies hospitality management, said Morrill Hall would be used as a lab and storage space for the large textiles and clothing collection, which is currently stacked in boxes in LeBaron Hall. When they are moved into storage at Morrill Hall, they will have temperature and humidity control and the clothing will be easier to bring into the classroom, she said.

“The greatest disadvantage to not moving [the collection to Morrill Hall] is there would be no accessibility,” Gregoire said. “It takes two to three people to go in there and move boxes [in the current location].”

The renovated Morrill Hall would also house a conservation lab, so faculty in textiles and clothing could preserve clothing and teach students in the process.

Geoffroy also discussed his thoughts on diversity.

“The educational experience is much higher if the educational experience is diverse,” he said.

Geoffroy said Iowa State does not have an admissions policy, but the population of minority students has increased over the past few years.