SUNY Cortland’s new developments with the Cornish and Van Housen Halls will have many benefits for the University as a whole. This project has been underway since summer 2023 and is aiming for completion in January of 2026. The construction is mainly focused on Wing C of Van Housen Hall and the renovations will bring new life to the campus.
The Communications and Media Studies departments have been waiting for their own dedicated space for some time now. About 10 years ago the departments were housed within Dowd Fine Arts Center, but were eventually scattered around campus in order to give the arts departments their own fully dedicated space in Dowd. If the construction does actually become completed by next year, then the Communications and Media Studies departments will finally have a centralized place where they all can work together.
What does it take to upgrade SUNY Cortland’s Communications and Media Studies department? The answer: $27 million. But how much impact will this investment have on the education and experience of thousands of students? As the upgrades take shape, students are left wondering—will these changes truly meet their needs?
Ricardo Nelson is a professor and Media Production Specialist working within the Communications and Media Studies departments at SUNY Cortland. We asked him about his views on this situation and he believes that these new additions will really help improve these departments. He says that this will give students a more hands-on learning experience and will give them access to the latest technology to prepare students for their future in the media industry. Giving students access to top-tier industry standard technology will help them train for their careers once they leave school. Nelson says that being able to learn with the same equipment that they will be using in their careers will add to their experience and knowledge. Teachers will also benefit from this by being able to better teach and prepare students for their future careers in the media industry with up to date equipment.
Students having fresh equipment and a pristine learning experience will allow them to learn and excel in a space suited to their needs. These new improvements will give students exactly what they need to pursue their educational goals and will help faculty to foster and develop a curriculum to better fit their teaching needs. After much time without a dedicated space these departments will see a major boost in productivity and will feel seen by the university.
We were lucky enough to speak to some students and get their take on the construction here on campus. Jennifer Caruana is the Coordinator of Student Advocacy for SUNY Cortland’s Student Government Association. “I think it’s a great investment” says Caruana, “This investment will open many opportunities for students to gain a better education in Communication and Media Studies that will help set them up for success in the future. In addition, with these investments it will open doors for growth, and strengthen the department.” She believes that as technology and media advances, our education needs to keep up, especially as there are so many job opportunities that require an advanced skill set.
We also got to speak with Jake Baglio, a senior studying Media Production at SUNY Cortland and the Secretary of CSTV, Cortland’s student run television station. When asked about what was lacking in the Media Production, Baglio had this to say, “Not only space physically, but dedicated spaces, I would like the film making area to be a dedicated space for narrative filmmaking, a place where we can build a set and then film a movie. Then we need a dedicated podcasting studio, same with a broadcast area.” A lot of the areas where CSTV and other clubs within the Communications and Media Production departments are also used for a lot of other classes and activities. With an actual dedicated space, Balgio stated, “Portfolios will be stronger, students will come out with a lot more experience, something that I’m definitely lacking in is time in a dedicated and real production studio that feels like a film set. We do a lot of filming in classrooms.” With a dedicated space for these departments students within them will be able to work together and make content easily.
The upgrades being made to Wing C will bring many benefits and improvements to our campus. Students and teachers will be able to succeed in a centralized space with equipment that will suit all of their learning and teaching needs. The improved wing will also have modernized acoustics and an updated production studio. These enhancements were designed to increase student productivity and efficiency. These developments reflect SUNY Cortland’s commitment to provide students with exceptional educational services and support. We as a university are looking forward to seeing the effects of the new facilities.