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	Courtesy Photo Hood College is installing an outdoor classroom in the center of campus. This area will be equipped with several benches and a speaking podium.

Near an entrance to the college that faces Rosemont Avenue, the outdoor classroom features five wooden benches sitting on a brick patio.

Instead of sitting on the grass or steps in front of a building, professors can bring their classes and a chalkboard to the area when the weather permits, said Hood President Ronald Volpe. It can also be used as a place to have lunch, play music, read or study.

"It has many benefits," he said. "This is a great place to build community."

The outdoor classroom, which can accommodate between 20 and 25 people, was a gift from the class of 2007, Volpe said. He believes this will be the first of many to grace the campus.

The cost of the outdoor classroom, including labor and materials, was about $15,000, Volpe said.

The incoming freshman class of more than 300 -- the college's largest to date -- will see a number of other renovations throughout the campus this fall, including upgrades to the dining hall, commuter lounge, student campus center, auditorium, classrooms and the book store.

The renovations include new paint jobs, repaved parking lots and new sidewalks, as well as the removal of several dead or diseased trees.

The upgrades cost about $3 million, and the college used funds from community donors and alumni to pay for them, Volpe said

The school is also adding parking spaces and more landscaping around buildings across campus.

"I think the students deserve to have this," Volpe said.