Reporting Trip: Zell B. Miller Learning Center

As part of my reporting on the impact that COVID-19 has had on the academic lives of students at the University of Georgia, I visited the Zell B. Miller Learning Center to learn more about the changes and accommodations that have been made to prioritize the safety of students and keep the doors open. The MLC has been one of the most popular study locations on campus since its opening in 2003. The location has 96 study rooms designated to provide UGA students with a space to study, with or without peers.

As I walked toward the second-floor entrance of the MLC, I saw an abundance of tables and chairs lining the building, providing a place for students to study outside. Inside the building, students were stationed in open seats, studying with the sound of Jittery Joe’s coffee grinding in the background.

Due to the social distancing guidelines enforced by UGA, I found that the study rooms now have a two-person limit. In non-pandemic times, the study rooms were intended for groups, not a single person. Masks are also a part of academic life for students while they work on their assignments in the MLC. Masks are required at all times inside of the building unless a student is occupying a study room alone.

While the protocol enforced in the MLC has become the new normal for UGA students, its implementation has affected their study patterns. I spoke with first-year student Kristin Smoyer about her experience with studying in the MLC. Smoyer said, “Generally when I come here there’s still space available for me to study. Usually I just go to the second floor and study at one of the desks.” Due to hybrid and online learning models, space has opened up in the MLC, guaranteeing students like Smoyer a place to study.