The Alexander Institute for Environmental Education and the Sciences is an $80 million investment approved by Maryville College President Dr. Bryan Coker, with large donations coming from the state of Tennessee and former U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander.
The project will replace the outdated and crumbling Sutton Science Center. However, students around campus have questioned the decision to build Sutton’s replacement, especially with increasing needs for maintenance to other old buildings on campus.
Students have reported water leaks, mold, and mushrooms, along with general wear and tear. So, why direct money into a new, costly building? College officials say it is the best course of action for the institution.
The first reason involves donations. The state of Tennessee has already gifted $12 million to the cause, along with Alexander’s donation. According to Coker, donors have different motives for giving money to the college. Additionally, donors prefer to give money to new, extravagant projects rather than renovating or modernizing older buildings.
“That’s just a fact of life in the fundraising world,” Coker said, explaining that the college has difficulty raising money for less glamorous projects.
Bo Long, facility operations manager for mechanical trades, agrees with that sentiment.
“There’s a reason why it’s still named ‘Carnegie Hall’,” Long said. “It would take somebody really wanting to put their name on that building to donate enough funds to completely re-do it.”
A more visible project to the public – like the Alexander Institute – has an advantage on the historic residence halls in this context. Long said: “people are more inclined to give money to things that others see.”
Donor culture’s desire for recognition leaves less-acknowledged parts of campus to be paid for internally. Money already donated to the Alexander Institute must be used only for that project.
“To use those funds otherwise would be unethical and illegal,” Coker said.
Another purpose for prioritizing the science institute is its broad appeal to local residents, tourists and prospective students. The Alexander Institute becomes a selling point and a way to increase public awareness about MC. Community partnerships, a K-12 program and curriculum, and state-of-the-art facilities are all methods to increase popularity for the college.
At first glance, the allocation of resources doesn’t seem quite right. Carnegie Hall has faulty fire alarms, Thaw Hall has signs throughout the building detailing the proper steps to flush a toilet, and every building has plumbing and heating issues.
“A lot of the planning in places like this almost looks backwards,” Long said. “But it helps fuel growth, then you can take the proceeds and reinvest it in what you have.”
The only way to fix those issues is by spending money, and the Alexander Institute is forecast to reimburse MC the quickest. It’s an investment into the college that would persuade future students and staff to make Maryville their home.
Along with spending money to make money, Sutton drains money from the college every year. According to Coker, construction experts have recommended replacing Sutton due to its infrastructure not lending itself to renovation, as well as the building’s major maintenance issues.
“It was made clear to me in my presidential interviews and throughout my first few months as president that a new science building was one of the College’s greatest needs,” Coker said.
“The building of Sutton itself doesn’t lend itself to [getting] up to a modern standard,” Long said. “The structure, layout, power, plumbing, it’s not right for a ‘modern’ space. The need for the Alexander Institute is there; the [Sutton] building itself is fine, and it’s very utilitarian, but the purpose of the building doesn’t hold up anymore.”
These reasons have led Coker and MC to the decision that the need for the Alexander Institute outweighs hopes of preserving the historic Sutton Science Center.
Maryville College prides itself on the history of the campus, but that comes with old buildings breaking down – an issue that appears to loom larger today than in years prior.
“It’s a lot of work to take care of the campus…but as a whole our job hasn’t changed a lot [this year],” Long said. “A lot of the [maintenance] requests are just operator error.”
Long has received many requests that are as simple as lights working again by flipping a switch or using the other valve for hot water, but many others are oddities, such as pulling a hair pick out of a toilet or someone pouring candle wax down a sink. Those types of requests are user error and are not indicative of a building getting old.
Signs of aging buildings include operations on infrastructure due to wear and tear – the case in Sutton. The maintenance concerns, while there, are not enough to outweigh the reasons to build the new science center.
Construction of the Alexander Institute will start in the fall of 2026.
Signs of age, shown by cracking bricks and different color carpets, in Sutton Science Center classroom 115. Photo courtesy of Eli Cauthorn
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