Union University’s Communication Arts Department showcased a remodeled second-floor space in Jennings Hall this fall, designed to merge classroom theory with real-world application while reshaping how students and visitors experience the program.
The project, sparked by an idea from Professor Cari Griffith and developed with faculty and students, transformed the department’s gallery and gathering areas. The renovation adds new seating, brighter aesthetics, and displays of student work, creating what Professor Ashley Fitch Blair, Department Chair, calls a form of “nonverbal communication.”
“Space is nonverbal communication,” Blair said. “When you walk into someone’s office, you immediately make decisions about them based on what you see. The same is true for our department. The environment matters just as much as what we teach in class.”
The redesign spoke to the heart of communication studies at Union: balancing theory with practice. Blair said the department has long emphasized making classroom learning applicable in real-world settings, giving students the chance to influence their space while showcasing the professionalism expected in the field.
“This was a great opportunity because it was both practical application of what students are learning and a chance for them to enjoy the space more by having a say in what it looks like,” Blair said.
Students have also noticed the changes. Hope Watson, a sophomore public relations major who studied in Jennings before and after the redecoration, said the new design has shifted the atmosphere.
“I’d just say that the changes in decor make it a more inviting place to study, and it’s motivating to see other students’ work on display,” Watson said.
The timing also reflects a broader push by the department to demonstrate its unique identity on campus. While many academic areas emphasize content mastery, the communication arts program has worked to brand itself as both rigorous and hands-on, with spaces and projects designed to mirror the professional environments students will enter after graduation.
Blair noted that feedback has been consistently positive, with visitors from other departments stopping to comment on the area’s look. More than an aesthetic update, she said the space reflects the department’s mission and sets expectations for current and future students.
“It reinforces what we are doing with the student work that’s on the walls,” Blair said. “I hope it’s aspirational for prospective students and encouraging for freshmen and sophomores. It says, ‘I can do this kind of work, and my work can be part of who we are.”