SUNY Cortland’s Renovation at Cornish and Van Hoesen Halls is Complete

SUNY Cortland has announced the two and a half year renovation project for the C-wing of Cornish and Van Hoesen halls is completed. Both halls have reopened for the spring semester at SUNY Cortland, which began on Monday. Cortland says the renovations have created a hub for communication and media studies and vital student support services.

The renovation project included major interior and exterior renovations at a cost of $27 million dollars. Cortland says the renovations increased internal space and centralized services. Cornish and Van Hoesen Halls are linked together and include a now upgraded Communication and Media Studies Department and offices for Conley Counseling and Wellness Services, Disability Resources and their Educational Opportunity Program.

SUNY Cortland says Paul van der Veur, professor and chair of the Communication and Media Studies Department, saw the renovation as a way to enhance academic majors including cinema study, communication studies, new communication media and media production. Some of the additions include a new audio production studio, video production studio, an on-air radio station (WSUC 90.5FM), and a podcasting and cinema screening room. The centralization of the school’s media outlets, Dragon Chronicle Newspaper, WXUC, and CSTV, are now in one building. This, Cortland says, makes it easier for the organizations to collaborate.

“Students will be able to create content using workflows that they will find in broadcast facilities around the country,” he said. “They’re able now to create content for pretty much any platform that they could want, be it broadcast or social media, to a level that would be acceptable at any television station.”

The building also includes a classroom specifically designed for public speaking. All studios, classrooms, and the screening room are ADA accessible, Loralee Morrow, Senior Associate Facilities Program Coordinator said in a release.

Other building improvements include:

Three new student lounges: one at the new, main entrance; one at the connection between the Education Building and the C-Wing of Cornish-Van Hoesen Hall and the Student Media Commons.
Disability Resources’ new Sensory Room and Test Accessibility Services space.
Updated office space, including frosted privacy glass for rooms used by Conley Counseling and Wellness Services.

• A large equipment checkout room and scene shop.
• A multimedia classroom and writing studio classroom.
• A new enclosed elevator and stairs at the north end of the building.
• Navigation aids installed to ease the transition to a new layout.
• Added restrooms in new, central locations

“Faculty and staff have already taken to moving through,” Morrow said. “Access through the space has been sorely missed while it was closed.”

SUNY Cortland anticipates an official ribbon cutting ceremony sometime in March.

*Feature Image via SUNY Cortland*