Great learning spaces give students room to think, create, collaborate, and grow. At the college level, that often means choosing furniture that can support many different kinds of learning throughout the day, from independent study and tutoring sessions to group projects and hands-on problem solving.
At Alamance Community College in Graham, North Carolina, the Writing Lab and STEM Lab recently gained more flexible workspace with twelve Interchange 3-2-1 Desks by Smith System, purchased through Worthington Direct in Spring 2025.
The desks now provide students with welcoming places to work independently, collaborate with classmates, use technology, and receive academic support in two active campus learning environments.
Flexible Furniture for Higher Education Spaces
While many Worthington Direct customers are K–12 schools, flexible school furniture can also be a great fit for colleges, universities, and community college campuses. Classrooms, writing centers, STEM labs, libraries, commons areas, tutoring spaces, and student support centers all benefit from furniture that can adapt to the way students learn.
For Alamance Community College, the Interchange 3-2-1 Desk offered a smart, versatile solution for spaces where students may work alone one moment and collaborate the next.
The desk’s generous worksurface gives students room for writing, laptops, classroom materials, and shared activities. Its unique shape also allows the desks to be arranged in different ways, making it easy to support both individual focus and group learning.
A Natural Fit for Writing and STEM Labs
The same desk can serve different purposes in different spaces, which is part of what makes it so useful. In the Writing Lab, the desks create additional workspace where students can write, review assignments, use computers, or meet for academic support.
In the STEM Lab, they can support hands-on learning, group discussion, technology use, and flexible classroom activities.
That kind of adaptability matters in higher education settings, where one room may support several learning goals throughout the week.
Instead of limiting the room to one setup, the Interchange 3-2-1 Desks give Alamance Community College more ways to use the space while keeping the labs clean, coordinated, and student-ready.
Real Feedback From Alamance Community College
Once the desks were in place, Worthington Direct Sales Representative Sharon checked in with Alamance Community College to see how the new furniture was working in the Writing Lab and STEM Lab.
S. Denise Lloyd-Forbes, Coordinator of the Academic Support Center at Alamance Community College’s Carrington-Scott Campus, shared:
“Thank you for reaching out. We love our tables and are actually considering purchasing one or two more sets in the near future. Again, we are more than happy with our purchase.”
That kind of response says a lot. The Interchange 3-2-1 Desks are not just fitting into the room visually. They are supporting the way students and staff are using the labs every day, with enough flexibility that the college is already considering adding more.
Supporting Learning Beyond the Traditional Classroom
College and university spaces are always moving. Students gather for tutoring, meet for projects, work on assignments, use technology, prepare for exams, and connect with instructors and support staff. Flexible desks and tables can help these spaces keep up with the many ways learning happens.
We are excited to see the Interchange 3-2-1 Desks by Smith System supporting students in Alamance Community College’s Writing Lab and STEM Lab.
Worthington Direct is proud to help schools, colleges, and community campuses find furniture that fits their spaces, supports their students, and helps create places where learning can happen every day.
Looking for flexible furniture for a college classroom, lab, library, or student support space? Explore the Interchange 3-2-1 Desk by Smith System, browse more Smith System furniture, or contact our furniture experts for help finding options that fit your campus learning space.
