The Elon community is invited to join President Lambert, trustees and donors for the dedication of the expanded communications complex. The ceremony will be held TODAY at 3:30 p.m. in the Snow Family Grand Atrium inside Dwight C. Schar Hall.
Students, faculty and staff are invited to join in the dedication of Elon’s new School of Communications complex, which opened in late 2016 and represents one of the nation’s finest learning environments for the study of communications.
The ceremony will include remarks from President Leo M. Lambert, Board of Trustees chair Kerrii Brown Anderson ’79 and Paul Parsons, dean of the School of Communications. A reception with refreshments will follow the dedication along with opportunities to tour the new and renovated facilities.
The communications complex provides an attractive entryway to Elon along Williamson Avenue and a beautiful setting framing the historic area of campus known as Under the Oaks. Central to the design of the modern communications campus is the concept of transparency and the strategic use of glass, allowing visitors to see student media in action.
The project more than doubles the amount of space for the School of Communications, recognized as one of the top-20 such programs in the nation. The project was designed by the renowned Robert A.M. Stern Architects of New York.
- Dwight C. Schar Hall, a 45,000-square-foot building that is the centerpiece of the new communications campus. It was made possible by a portion of a $13 million gift from Dwight and Martha Schar, parents of Stuart ’16 and Spencer ’19 Schar. The facility includes classrooms, faculty offices, student engagement suites, the Innovation Lab, the Kanarick Media Sandbox and expanded space for Live Oak Communications.
- Snow Family Grand Atrium, named for David and Lynette Snow, parents of Lauren Snow ’15. The 5,000-square-foot, two-story glass structure links Schar Hall with McEwen building and features ample seating and a 1.4-million-pixel video wall.
- Citrone Plaza, a beautiful gathering place connecting the new facilities to the Town of Elon. The plaza is named for Elon Trustee Cindy Citrone and her husband, Rob, parents of Gabriela Citrone ’17.
- Steers Pavilion, a single-story, 7,300-square-foot facility that is named for Bob and Lauren Steers, parents of John “JP” Steers ’15. The pavilion houses the internationally recognized Imagining the Internet Center, a media analytics lab and faculty and staff offices.
- Turner Theatre, a 220-seat, state-of-the-art movie theater located on the first floor of Schar Hall. The theater is named for Parker ’06 and Garrett ’08 Turner and their parents, Toni and Jim Turner. The theater showcases films by students and alumni.
- Jane and Brian Williams Studio in McEwen building, featuring new LED lighting, new sets and three high-definition cameras. Jane and Brian are parents of Doug Williams ’13, who earned his degree in journalism. A longtime television journalist, Brian Williams serves as honorary chair of Elon’s School of Communications Advisory Board.
Elon’s School of Communications is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC)—the highest benchmark of program quality in journalism and communications.