J school construction to finish before centennial

By Matt Reinig

Published Sept. 14, 2007

The School of Journalism construction project, which was set back by structural issues that delayed completion and increased the cost of the project, is on track for completion before the school's centennial celebration in September 2008.

Since December 2005, crews have worked on construction of the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, a three-floor addition on the northeast corner of the Francis Quadrangle, a complete renovation of the Sociology Building and partial renovation to Walter Williams Hall.

The project's completion was delayed by 10 months when workers discovered the mortar in the 115-year-old Sociology Building had deteriorated and needed to be replaced.

"The brick and mortar complications were resolved at the end of August," Campus Facilities spokesman Phil Shocklee said.

Shocklee said he did not anticipate any more delays in the project.

Programming Development Director Roger Gafke said the program could be completed as early as June 4.

Shocklee set a completion date of June 30.

If construction meets that deadline, the work will be completed well before the journalism school's centennial celebration, which begins Sept. 10, 2008.

The journalism school expects alumni, political figures and media leaders to attend the festivities, according to an announcement on its Web site. The Web site stated that the celebration will include high-tech demonstrations in the Journalism Futures Laboratory and a multimedia celebration of the First Amendment. Visitors will be able to see a new historical documentary about the journalism school, seminars, workshops and tours.

The Missouri Press Association will also play host to a golf tournament on Sept. 12, 2008, the last day of the events.

The construction is funded by $18.6 million from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. The foundation also provided $12.4 million to support the new institute's programs, operations and staff salaries.

The new facility includes a technology and resource center, social areas, a larger journalism library, administrative offices and fellow and graduate studies programs and seminar space.

It will also house a futures lab, where students and faculty will work on media innovation, and a technology demonstration and research center, a "testing pad" for new technologies, Executive Director Pam Johnson said.

"The new demonstration center and futures lab are great examples of how we want students, academics, et cetera, working with research components to make a difference," Johnson said.

Next week, three teams composed of students from the School of Journalism, College of Business Department of Marketing, College of Engineering Computer Science Department and College of Education School of Information Science and Learning Technologies will be selected and provided $5,000 per team by the Reynolds Journalism Institute to develop a new innovation, Johnson said.

The most innovative team, which will be announced in February, will be rewarded $10,000.