For Stephanie Garrett, there really is no comparing the new psychology labs at Bay Hall to the old ones.
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 The new 60,000 square foot Bay Hall features classrooms for the high-tech future. |
“Before Bay Hall, we had a small, one room laboratory with a computer. Now, what we have is truly amazing,” she beamed. “We now have four laboratory rooms and two observation rooms. We’ll be installing a two-way mirror soon, which will provide for amazing research opportunities. There doesn’t seem to be any limitations to our capabilities.”
Garrett, who will graduate with a master’s degree in psychology this December, believes the new psychology labs will provide more incentive for master’s students to take the thesis track versus the clinical track. Or, students may even decide to take both tracks simultaneously, as Garrett is currently doing.
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“Now you can do more interesting research, rather than the run-of-the-mill survey,” she explained. “With lab facilities like these, I could easily see a doctoral program in psychology a few years down the road for the University. When that day comes, I’ll be here!”
Increased lab space for psychology students does mean a wider variety of new projects, agrees Steve Seidel, professor and chair for the psychology department. “More of our psychology students will become involved in research activities on campus. The future trend in teaching is more student involvement in real-world research and we’re happy to provide our students with this opportunity,” he said.
Students and faculty alike are marveling at the 60,000 square foot home for the Social Sciences, Communication and Psychology Departments. Located near the Center for the Arts and the Faculty Center, Bay Hall is now the second largest building on campus.
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 Bay Hall will accommodate 900 students. |
The $15 million Bay Hall classroom building accommodates 900 students, said College of Arts and Humanities Dean Richard Gigliotti. “Bay Hall has allowed us some much-needed breathing room here at the University,” he said. “This will serve us well for another few years, until we are ready for further expansion.”
Bay Hall is the introduction of a new breed of classrooms for the high-tech future, stressed Gigliotti. “Each classroom is equipped with the latest in instructional technological advancements,” he noted. “There are seminar rooms designed for smaller classes of 25 and lecture halls which seat anywhere from 100 to 250 students.”
Several horseshoe-configured classrooms seating 50 to 60 students have tables and chairs that can be moved to accommodate specific learning techniques and needs.
“One of the areas we are most proud of is the communications editing lab, which we didn’t have before,” Gigliotti added. “Students will have access to video editing equipment, a broadcasting area and a soundproof room for conducting interviews and voiceovers.”
Assistant Professor of Communication Dr. Ethan Thompson says the video editing lab includes 13 Macintosh computers used for several different video production courses, including video tape production, non-linear editing and advanced video project. “The significance of our new home is not only the equipment, but also the addition of a dedicated space. Editing is a time-intensive process,” he noted. “In order for students to make the movies, documentaries, promotional or commercial work they want to, they need the time and secure machinery to store their work. Before Bay Hall, they were working in a Macintosh lab used by photography and graphic design classes open to everyone on campus.”
Dr. Thompson notes that the majority of students are communications majors, but over the past few years, they have been drawing students from other disciplines. “It used to be that these skills were specialized,” he noted. “Now it is quickly becoming the next wave of skill sets needed in a broader range of jobs, such as marketing and
public relations.” |
