Next summer McClelland Hall will undergo partial renovation with upgrades to the sprinkler system, and additional improvements to the building are under consideration as well.
According to Dean of Administration Sharron Scott, Johnson State College has set aside a minimum of $250,000 for updates to McClelland Hall, the oldest building on campus.
The first and most important update to the building is slated to be upgrading the sprinkler systems for more coverage and safety.
Additional changes are under consideration and Scott will work with the building’s occupants—the Behavioral Sciences and Education departments along with Professor of Performing Arts Maris Wolff—to determine priorities based on limited funds.
One plan under consideration is relocating the top–floor dance studio to the first floor, with a smaller and more isolated practice space for students. As it is now, the noise from the dancers sometimes disrupts concentration in the classrooms below.
Wolff, however, is not pleased with the planned move. “This practice space is specifically built for dance students,” she said. “The floor is hardwood with a sprung surface, and the ceilings are high enough for stretching exercises. I don’t know what the cost of soundproofing the existing studio is, but it can’t be much more than building a new one from scratch.”
According to Wolff, there used to be two dance studios in McClelland Hall, the second one located directly under where the current one is.
Despite her misgivings about the dance studio, Wolff seemed to welcome the overall idea of investment in the old building. “If the redesign does happen, I’ll be happy to keep doing what I love in a different classroom,” she said.
McClelland’s computer lab has been upgraded halfway already, with fairly recent computers, but lacks desks designed with modern computers in mind. The whole lab will be relocated to room 102, which should be more conducive to learning as soon as it is rewired to accommodate the computers.
Long absent from McClelland is a proper student lounge, the current one consisting of three chairs and an end table located in a stairwell, at best an afterthought. If the budget allows, students might receive an outdoor deck as well.
Finally, all the classrooms will have new furnishings and fixtures to replace the somewhat outdated ones present now.
Professor of Behavioral Sciences Gina Mireault served on the committee that discussed various redesign options with Scott. “I would simply say that I am pleased McClelland is going to be renovated, eager to see the work get underway, and confident that updating the facility will serve students, faculty, and staff well,” she said.
Donald McClelland, the then-principal of the Johnson Normal School, dedicated McClelland Hall in 1942. The building has generally been a low-priority choice for renovations due to its location down the hill from the main campus.
