DEPARTMENTS RELOCATE The Beatles may have loved Penny Lane, but the Edwards College faculty that moved offices in December love Penny Hall even more. Originally named for the one-cent sales tax that funded the $12 million-dollar building, Penny Hall (now called Brittain Hall), houses the Department of Politics & Geography, the Department of History, and the new Department of Communication, Languages, and Cultures. Associate Chair Matthieu Chan Tsin likes the new building smell; Administrative Specialist Bonnie Senser loves the cheery lobby areas and the monumental staircase; and Assistant Professor Amanda Brian treasures the interdisciplinary collaborations and conversations that the new configuration of office space promotes. According to Carolyn Dillian, Assistant Professor of Archaeology, many faculty members are walking the two flights of stairs on a regular basis because the heady smell of bagels from the first-floor restaurant is just too tempting to resist.
Brittain Hall, also home of the Psychology and Sociology Departments from the College of Science, is a three-story, 48,995-square-foot building, containing 109 offices for faculty and staff, three large lecture halls, 12 classrooms, and two conference rooms. Students like Dylan Fender, a political science major, appreciate having an additional dining option on campus. He usually attends his 8 a.m. class and then meets friends for breakfast bagels and good conversation afterward. Shawn Godwin, an alumnus from Coastal, class of ’96, served as project manager for the construction of Brittain Hall, which began on Oct. 31, 2011. Despite a tight schedule, he was able to complete the project on time. Faculty and staff moved into their new offices over winter break, and professors were ready to teach in the new classrooms when the Spring 2013 semester began. Holley Tankersley, Chair of the Department of Political Science & Geography, praised Associate Provost Sallie Clarkson and all of the people from Facilities for doing an amazing job coordinating a seamless move and responding so quickly to faculty and staff concerns.