Renovated Bachelor Hall a ‘powerful symbol’ for the humanities at Miami
Classes will resume in the building in fall
•
Published
The atrium of the renovated Bachelor Hall. The building will reopen in the fall for classes.
Renovated Bachelor Hall a ‘powerful symbol’ for the humanities at Miami
•
Published
To view more photos of Bachelor Hall's renovation, please see the Exposure story.
As Miami University’s hub for the humanities, the renovated Bachelor Hall will be a dynamic, interactive, and collaborative space once it’s officially open for classes this fall.
This two-year process has consolidated space and modernized classrooms, and it will create an environment for scholarly work and interdepartmental partnerships by housing Miami’s core humanities fields in the same building.
Bachelor Hall will be the home for the departments of English; History; Media, Journalism, and Film; and Philosophy, as well as the Altman Institute for the Humanities, the American Culture and English Program, and the Ohio Writing Project.
Renée Baernstein, dean of the College of Arts and Science, is excited to see the new ways Bachelor Hall will bring people together.
“It’s going to transform how the humanities operate and are experienced by Miami students and faculty,” Baernstein said. “This is a tremendous step forward for the important work that the humanities do today.”
This is the first major overhaul of Bachelor Hall in the building's more than 45 years of existence.
“Bachelor Hall reinforces Miami University’s commitment to the humanities and communication arts,” President Crawford said. “This newly renovated space is where deep scholarship meets powerful storytelling, where history, philosophy, and composition intersect with media, journalism, and film, and where scholars connect across disciplines. It advances our mission to equip students with the knowledge, creativity, character, and ethical grounding, as well as the durable soft skills, critical thinking, moral reasoning, and writing abilities needed to lead in an ever-changing and complex global society.”
Tim Melley, director of the institute, called Bachelor Hall a “powerful symbol” of Miami’s support and is thrilled that the Altman Institute for the Humanities will be housed there.
“Situated in the heart of the building, this state-of-the-art facility will bring together thousands of Miamians each year for lectures, seminars, labs, research collaborations, and public-facing projects,” Melley said. “The generous support of the Altman family, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the state of Ohio, and our faithful alumni speaks volumes about the vital importance of the humanities today.”
Classes will resume in the renovated Bachelor Hall in the fall.
New features at Bachelor include a modern TV studio; the Bachelor Great Room, a 68-person multifunctional space for events and teaching; a dedicated event space for the Humanities Center; and an atrium, a four-story space that will provide visual and physical connectivity to the core of the building.
Students in the Department of Media, Journalism, and Film will benefit greatly from the updated production facilities, according to Rosemary Pennington, department chair. From the green screen in the TV studio to multiple audio studios for podcasts, live recording of music, and more, students will be able to do “virtually anything they want related to production.”
“Anything they can dream up, we can make happen in the new space,” Pennington said.
Make it Miami tours this spring have offered prospective students a glimpse of the future of humanities at the university.
“It’s important that students and their parents can see themselves in this space and see what their lives would be like here,” Pennington said. “This is a state-of-the-art building. It’s going to allow us to showcase the humanities in really important ways. It’s nice to have a space to make the humanities more visible. You see for yourself how the humanities are more modern and engage with the world.”
Bachelor Hall's renovation was a two-year process.
Bachelor was originally built in 1978, and while there have been updates to the building over the years, this is the first major overhaul in its 45-plus year history.
“It’s been designed to inspire and invigorate everyone, with beautiful common areas, nooks and crannies for small groups, and heads-down space for individuals,” Baernstein said. "We sometimes forget how much the built environment can transform our work. Working and studying in a space that is purpose built, where we feel the institution supports and cares for our work, is a powerful driver of excellence.”
“This is a testament to Miami’s ongoing encouragement and dedication to the humanities. I can’t wait to see what our faculty and students are going to be able to accomplish there.”
Established in 1809, Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, with regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning center in West Chester, and a European study center in Luxembourg. Interested in learning more about the College of Arts and Science? Visit the website for more information.
