Education to transfer in spring

by Jason Burgene. contributing writer

Memorial Hall, previously Harrisonburg High School, will be used primarily by the department of education starting in the spring of 2006.

This past spring, it was decided that JMU would lease Harrisonburg High School for five years at a cost of $7.5 million.

Memorial Hall provides students and employees with fresh options and amenities including the buildings’ athletic facilities, lots of parking, an auditorium and more classrooms. 

Primarily, Memorial Hall will serve as home to the College of Education and its teacher education programs, adult/human resource department and military science, plus other programs within the education department.

Other departments also plan to use the building. For example, Dining Services will be involved, given the kitchen availability, University Recreation will have the option of using the athletic facilities, and performing arts will have an auditorium to use at their disposal.

Phillip Wishon, dean of the College of Education is thrilled with the possibilities of Memorial Hall and the education program itself. “Memorial Hall will be a beacon of intellectual light and a natural destination on that edge of our campus for students seeking physical, intellectual, social and artistic excitement,” he said. 

Previously located in dispersed locations on campus such as Roop and Maury Halls and Bridgeforth Stadium, the College of Education will now venture away from the centralized sections of campus and allow the steadily growing university to be properly adjusted and adapted to the increasing number of students. 

Jini Cook, space management coordinator for JMU, knows the benefits of having extra breathing room. “The space allocated in Memorial hall benefits students, faculty and staff by offering better services to the students, facilitate better communication in a co-located facility amongst faculty and staff, and provide the College of Education with the ability to expand course offerings and academic services without being spread across campus,” she said. 

Currently, upgrades to the building are being done in order to bring it from a high school level to a college level of education, which involves issues outside the physical status of the building itself.  

Specifically, class scheduling and transportation are two items presently being addressed regarding Memorial Hall. Due to a large parking lot outside the building, parking should not be a problem. Shuttle services will be provided for both students and employees.  

The acquisition of this property will provide a great deal of relief for JMU and a new home for the College of Education. Wishon and the entire department are excited for the opening of Memorial Hall. 

“The staff and faculty of the College of Education are looking forward with great excitement to this move,” Wishon said. “We look forward with pride to occupying the site where so many dedicated professionals devoted themselves to the most noble of endeavors.” 

Memorial Hall is scheduled to begin to be utilized in the spring semester of 2006, adding more in the summer months before it will be fully operational in the fall of 2006.