DURANGO, Colo. – Fort Lewis College student-athletes now have a brand-new space to focus on their academics with the opening of the Mezzanine, a dedicated study hall located in the Sports Performance Center--a $6 dollar facility that had its grand opening in April.

The space nearly triples the amount of athletic study hall hours available each week, giving Skyhawks more opportunities to stay on top of their academic goals and is supervised by Madison Carlton, the athletics department's compliance graduate assistant.

Study hall in the Mezzanine is offered Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., totaling 26 hours of availability each week. Required hours can also be fulfilled outside of the space with support from the Peer Education Center, a teaching assistant, or a professor. Athletes receive a digital sign-off sheet for any hours completed outside of the scheduled study hall, which they submit at the end of each week.

The addition of the Mezzanine is already making a significant difference for student-athletes. In past years, limited space meant that only around 10 hours of athletic-specific study hall could be offered each week, often creating scheduling challenges. Now, with more flexible daytime sessions, athletes are not only meeting their requirements earlier in the week but also taking advantage of the space to get ahead in their coursework.

"Having a dedicated study hall space with extended hours has already helped me stick to a schedule around classes, work, and practice," said sophomore women's lacrosse student-athlete, Kaitlyn Silva. "Having accessibility to a quiet space to get schoolwork done is a game-changer that we are lucky to have."

By providing a dedicated academic environment, the Mezzanine reflects Fort Lewis College's commitment to helping student-athletes succeed both on the field and in the classroom and reach the department's goals within the strategic plan.