This summer, Jen Cox, university space manager/director of support services, talked with us about academic facilities. We recently caught up with Cox to learn how facilities projects have developed since the last time we spoke.
A New Home for the Honors College
In what Cox describes as “one of the biggest, most exciting things we’ve gotten to accomplish recently,” the Honors College now calls Meyer Library home. As part of the 2023–24 Continuous Agility Process, a task force looked at ways to improve retention in the Honors College. The task force submitted recommendations, including finding more intentional, dedicated space for the Honors College — the kind of place that would reinforce its connection to students.
Provost Dr. John Jasinski agreed that space was a priority. “It’s crucial for the Honors College to have a highly visible home, one that reflects its role in our institution,” Jasinski says. “It’s also important to recognize that whenever we make a move like this one, other units are affected. We appreciate the tremendous cooperation people have shown as we’ve worked toward this goal for the Honors College, and we’re confident that there are good, long-term solutions for those who are impacted by the move.”
Once the Honors College is fully settled in the library, it will include areas like a student lounge, an event space, an office for Logos (Missouri State’s journal of undergraduate research) and administrative offices. “It’s phenomenal for the Honors College to be able to offer these amenities and this level of experience for students,” Cox says.
Planning for the Art Annex’s Demolition
The Art Annex is scheduled for demolition in January. Next semester, construction of a new facility named in honor of Judith Enyeart Reynolds will begin.
“What makes me so excited about this — other than the new building — is the collaboration across campus to find appropriate spaces for theatre and dance classes while construction is underway,” Cox says.
Generally, when her team is looking for temporary academic space, they seek it in other academic buildings. In this case, however, the theatre and dance department needed specialized spaces, like dance studios. “We knew we didn’t have classrooms that would accommodate these needs,” she says. “So we worked with Foster Recreation Center, athletics departments and Plaster Student Union (PSU) to find viable spaces. Folks from those areas were willing to help with open arms.”
During construction, theatre and dance programs will utilize spaces in Foster Rec as well as the Sugar Bears’ studio in Plaster Stadium. The PSU auditorium will be on standby as a back-up location.
Dr. Christopher Herr, head of the theatre and dance department, tells us that the collaboration has meant a great deal to the department’s faculty, staff and students.
“People have been incredibly accommodating,” Herr says. “Foster Rec is providing so much space, and it’s a great fit for our programs. We’re grateful for the way they’ve worked with Shelley Cantrell [coordinator of space management] and Rachel Mayer [administrative assistant in the department of theatre and dance] so that our students will continue to receive outstanding educational experiences while the new facility is being built.”
Herr notes that, in addition to finding unique classroom spaces, the support services team found places to store costumes, equipment and set pieces. These items often require significant space and may need specific environmental conditions. Finding appropriate storage was “a huge achievement” Herr says, and it’s made the move out of the Art Annex feel much more manageable.
The Standard’s Move to Strong Hall
Cox tells us that, during the past few years, the decision to vacate Park Central Office Building (PCOB) in downtown Springfield has significantly affected her team’s strategies — almost as if it’s the background music for every other project.
From a financial standpoint, vacating PCOB is a home run. It will eliminate the $1.3 million annual cost of PCOB’s lease, and Missouri State’s Board of Governors gave approval to direct these savings back into facilities’ maintenance and repair budget. But the process of relocating entities that were housed in PCOB has required complex conversations and fresh ideas.
“It’s a massive puzzle with ripples all across campus,” Cox says.
As her team discussed strategies for relocating PCOB units, Clay Hall came up in conversation. The Standard, Missouri State’s student-run news organization, had long made Clay Hall its headquarters. But in this spot, The Standard was on the northwest corner of campus, far from other journalism-related spaces. Cox and her team wondered if The Standard might be willing to leave Clay Hall, which would open up more space to accommodate the move out of PCOB. They sensed it could be a “win-win,” but Cox still felt a little nervous to broach the subject.
“When people get settled in a spot and they have history there, it’s a big deal to ask them to move,” she says.
Cox had no reason to worry. Dr. Shawn Wahl, dean of the Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, and Jack Dimond, The Standard’s faculty adviser, “were wonderful to work with,” she says. They all worked together to find space in Strong Hall, which is shaping up to be the ideal setting for The Standard’s next chapter.
“We’re very happy with The Standard’s new home,” says Dimond. “We’ll miss a few things about Clay Hall, which was our home for 16 years, but now we can draw upon the resources of a full academic building.”
And in Strong Hall, The Standard is housed with other journalism resources — both academic and professional.
“It’s a good thing to have The Standard located in the same building as the film and TV production teaching facilities, as well as KSMU and Ozarks Public Television,” Dimond says. “It communicates to students and the community that media and journalism have a large footprint at this university.”
“It’s a good thing to have The Standard located in the same building as the film and TV production teaching facilities, as well as KSMU and Ozarks Public Television. It communicates… that media and journalism have a large footprint at this university.”
— Jack Dimond
Around Campus…
Dr. Brad Snow, associate professor of music and director of Missouri State’s band program, tells us that this year’s Pride Marching Band is “the largest it’s been in decades. Our membership is up by nearly 60 members since last year.” He’s particularly proud that within the Pride Band, you’ll find students from a huge variety of disciplines — from programs all across campus.
Audiences have several chances to enjoy the band this fall, including at the Bands of America Grand National Championships, which take place in Indianapolis this November. It will mark Missouri State’s seventh appearance at a Bands of America event in the last nine years, more than any other university in the country. They’ll perform as an exhibition band, along with bands from Michigan State University and The Ohio State University.