Michigan College Dedicates New Visual Media Center

Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Mich., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Sajak Visual Media Arts Center, according to a news release. The center will contain filming and media production facilities for students and staff, and it was named in honor of Hillside College Board of Trustees Chairman and media personality Pat Sajak.

The center measures in at 10,500 square feet and contains space for up to five filming sets for productions like online courses, commercials, and digital materials for K–12 schools. Other amenities include a professional studio with state-of-the-art equipment, soundproofing capabilities, and a greenroom. The facility also allows students to gain experience behind the camera, the news release reports.

“The Sajak Center will be an excellent resource for the college,” said Rich Péwé, Chief Administrative Officer and Secretary to the Board of Trustees. “Whether it be documentaries, online courses, or podcasts, we now have the room and technology to create state-of-the-art content.”

Funding for the project came from Pat and Lesly Sajak, as well as the Deany’s Days Foundation and the Griswold-Bacigalupi family. Sajak joined the college’s board of trustees in 2002 and served as vice chairman from 2003 to 2019, when he elevated to his current role.

“Pat works just like Hillsdale College does,” said Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn. “He does something lovely and he shows it to a lot of people, and they enjoy it and watch it. It is a perfect pairing, this building, Hillsdale College, and the chairman of our board. We are deeply grateful to him.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.

  • Chartwells Launches Campus Dining Evaluation Framework

    Contract food-service management provider Chartwells Higher Education recently announced the launch of BLUEPRINT, according to a news release. The evaluation framework was designed to provide a data-driven and customizable roadmap towards optimizing campus dining services and, by extension, the student experience.

  • Moline-Coal Valley School District to Consolidate Two Schools into New Facility

    The Moline-Coal Valley School District in Moline, Ill., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff from two existing schools, according to local news. Robert Ontiveros Elementary School will serve as the new home for Lincoln-Irving Elementary School and Willard Elementary School.