Starting next semester, Barnett Hall will no longer be used as an academic building. Programs located at Barnett — such as communications and psychology — will be moved to other buildings like McClain Hall, Baldwin Hall and Violette Hall.
There will be no class sessions in Barnett next semester, although it may take more time for specific equipment to be moved out. Provost Eric Freedman said the reasoning behind this decision was to help similar departments communicate with one another.
“After we moved through academic reorganization, which was about moving a number of departments together based on their programmatic affiliations, there was a commitment after that we would then look at our campus masterplan and talk about where these programs actually were housed,” Freedman said. “If our goal was to get department programs and faculty to collaborate, they should be in closer proximity. What we saw primarily was to move the elements out of Barnett because that’s the furthest piece.”
The academic reorganization Freedman mentioned refers to the combination of the theatre arts and communications departments which occurred last semester. The theatre arts department is located in the Ophelia Parrish Building, yet this building does not seem to be a potential space for the communications department to move to.
Currently, the mailroom and publications are in Barnett, and Freedman said other non-academic services similar to those might be moved there as well. Freedman said the University was looking to recreate specialized spaces that were located in Barnett — such as the practice rooms the debate team uses — that have since been moved to other buildings.
Director of the Speech and Debate team Ben Davis also saw the move away from Barnett in a positive light.
“I think there are some advantages to it,” Davis said. “It’ll make it a lot easier for students on the speech and debate team to come to practices. I see it as being a benefit for our team. Being able to work more closely with students, having a more central place on campus that they can go and hang out, and get work done.”
Davis also said a more centralized location on campus would benefit students by making it easier to get to classes. Davis said he hoped the resources moving out of Barnett are of the same quality in the new location.
Barnett currently houses equipment such as microphones, computers, printers, speakers and soundboards that publications such as KTRM and The Index use. As of now, these organizations will likely be moving, but it is unclear to which building.
Violette Hall, Baldwin Hall and McClain Hall are the proposed new locations for the Barnett programs. However, since these buildings already house multiple departments, offices, classrooms, study rooms, computer labs, practice rooms, conference rooms, prayer spaces, lounges and centers, there is not much free space for Barnett’s programs among the three buildings. Whether these previous spaces will be appropriated for Barnett professors, classes and organizations or whether new spaces will open up is not yet known.
Some students see the move away from Barnett as a detriment since rushing across campus to get to the building is often a shared experience for University students to bond over. However, other students are looking forward to the move. Freshman communication disorders major Emily Bach was optimistic about the move.
“I like that it won’t be as far as a walk,” Bach said. “There’s easier access. When it’s cold outside, I won’t die.”