Hiding in the back of a large class in Schwab Auditorium may be a thing of the past since the University Board of Trustees approved plans for a new lecture hall on Friday.

Although a few members of the board raised some concerns over an addition to the Classroom/Office Building, final plans were approved.

The lecture hall will seat 612 students, said Gary Schultz, senior vice president for finance. The project's cost totals $5 million, with $2 million being paid by the University. It is an Operation Jump Start project -- a capital construction program initiated by Gov. Robert P. Casey in 1991.

The lecture hall is being built in an effort to improve the quality of large classes, Schultz said. Located at the corner of Pollock and Shortlidge roads, the addition includes new audio visual systems and an oversized lobby area to facilitate the large number of students coming in and out of the room.

The hope is that the new hall will help eliminate the use of Schwab Auditorium as a classroom, Schultz said.

"All inadequate classrooms have been eliminated except for Schwab," Schultz said.

But some trustees expressed concern about the impact the addition might have on the campus.

Trustee Ben Novak said he is concerned about the playing fields in the area of the building and asked if more of them will be taken away because of the construction.

But Schultz said the addition is within the fenced area around COB and it will not be built on any of the current fields. There are plans for more playing fields on Bigler Road where chicken coops used to be, he said.

"It is unwise to say we'll never do anything," Schultz said. "I'm not prepared to say never."

Student Trustee Don Lamuth and Novak also voiced some dissatisfaction with the architectual style of the building. Lamuth said the newer buildings do not coincide with the overall classical style of the campus, such as the buildings on the Mall.

Lamuth said at an earlier board meeting that Novak suggested the board look at the overall architectual theme on campus.

"I know it struck a chord with a lot of people around the table," Lamuth said.

Novak said the buildings on campus should be inspiring to the people looking at them, but some of the newer buildings and additions do not do that.

"You have to look in the spirit of the building," Novak said.