SMAD moves across campus

After occupying the CISAT modular buildings for five years, the SMAD and SCOM departments will move to Harrison Hall on June 13.

Five years ago, the SMAD department was in Anthony-Seeger until the traffic on South Main Street caused problems for students and drivers. George Johnson, director of SMAD, said the department moved to the Modular buildings because of the dangers associated with having students cross South Main Street.

"At the time when the large lecture classes were taught in Anthony-Seeger, we would have as many as 300 students crossing South Main Street after classes let out — we had students leaving the auditorium and students coming to the auditorium," Johnson said. He said students were crossing anywhere they could and, as a result, there were several accidents.

Jini Cook, JMU space management coordinator, who coordinates departmental moves, called the modular buildings a "swing space" for other departments during renovation. When SMAD was moved from Anthony-Seeger, the university was renovating Harrison Hall for the SMAD department.

"The CISAT modular building serves as temporary space for departments that need intermediate space during new construction and major renovation projects," Cook said. "The JMU administration is striving to meet the spatial needs for all students, faculty and staff."

Johnson said he was confident that the move will be beneficial, said, "We will be on the main part of campus — closer to where things are happening. The studio and labs will be in the same building."

"Moving to Harrison in the fall will be nice because we’ll have a brand new building specially equipped with everything we’ll need as SMAD majors. That’s definitely a plus," sophomore Cara Pugliese said.

Though the CISAT area recently recieved a new parking lot, it will not go to waste after the move. "The parking on the ridge not only serves the CISAT Modular campus, but also serves UREC, the Convocation Center, the arboretum, general parking for campus and the softball field," Cook said.

This summer SMAD and SCOM will make the move to Harrison Hall. Upon beign vacated, the modular buildings will undergo minor renovations, Cook said.

Cook said the university is trying to develop a plan for the modular buildings, but until then they will continue to be used as a temporary building for other departments.