The School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Colorado at Boulder will move its offices from Macky Auditorium and Norlin Library to the Armory Building at 1511 University Ave. in July.
School offices will be closed July 7, 10 and 11. Beginning July 12 the dean聮s office will be located in Armory 119 and the main reception area in Armory 116. The student services area will be in 1B111, the public computer labs will be in 206A, 209 and 211, and the Campus Press will be located in 206B.
All telephone numbers for the school will remain the same. The new campus box number is 478.
According to Steve Jones, assistant dean, consolidating the school in one location will provide more faculty, graduate student and undergraduate student interaction.
"We will have our computer labs, video editing labs and student space in close proximity with one another, as well as some space for additional faculty," Jones said. "The Armory will give us more opportunities to operate as a unit than when we were spread between Macky and Norlin."
Space for the school聮s new facilities will increase from 13,500 to 17,400 square feet. This includes five more faculty offices, two new student lounges, supplemental space for student services, four new editing bays, an additional computer lab and increases in cable hookups, phone jacks and online hookups.
Pedestrian crossing improvements on University Avenue to handle increased pedestrian traffic are being implemented jointly by CU and the City of Boulder. The changes will improve safety at University Avenue pedestrian crossings from the main campus to the Armory and to other Grandview Terrace buildings.
Improvements will include the closure of an existing path down a steep hill between Macky Auditorium and the McKenna Languages Building, with pedestrian traffic diverted to a less steep path and a new crosswalk at University and 17th Street. The city will build the new crosswalk.
The old direct path to the Armory that crosses University will be removed.
At University and 15th Street, CU will rearrange walkways to meet a new pedestrian crosswalk, also constructed by the city, with raised islands, new signage and plantings to slow traffic and improve safety.
Work on the improvements is scheduled to be done by Aug. 15.
The Armory won聮t be the final location for the school, as plans are under way to build a new, permanent facility on campus. A feasibility study has been approved and a program plan, describing how the school will fit into the campus as well as how the building will fit the needs of the school, will be presented to a campus committee for review later this year. Estimated costs for the building range from $16 million to $20 million.
CU-Boulder聮s School of Journalism and Mass Communication provides undergraduate students a sound liberal arts foundation with solid professional preparation in advertising, media studies, news-editorial, broadcast news or broadcast production management. Graduate students may choose specialty areas, including environmental journalism, newsgathering, integrated marketing communications and media studies.