Missouri Southern State University is days away from opening a facility on the Joplin campus that will be the new home for its math programs.

KSNF-TV reports that the $8.1 million Nixon Hall is set to open for classes on Jan. 14.

The 20,000-square-foot, three-story building houses mathematics classrooms, faculty offices, a computer lab and study areas.

The facility has been constructed on the south side of Reynolds Hall and is connected via a skywalk to the main hall of Reynolds’ second floor.

Student collaboration is a big focus for the new home of the MSSU Math programs.

“There's two glassed in student study areas and a lot of open areas where the students can move the furniture around in any grouping," says Bob Harrington, the university's construction manager.

The structure is named for former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, who was instrumental in acquiring state funding for the project.

The architect is Paragon Architecture, and the builder is Crossland Construction.