MICHAEL BALL, Asst. Web Editor—Students enrolled in dance and music this semester have noticed most classes aren’t held in Doane Dance or Burton Music buildings anymore. Instead, their classes meet in the new Eisner Center.
The Eisner Center for the Performing Arts houses the Departments of Dance, Music, and Theatre together under one roof. Faculty moved into the new building Spring 2019, leaving the future of the two historic buildings in limbo.
Dr. Kimberly Specht, Associate Provost for Operations, Planning and Resource Management, wrote in an email that the Burton Music Hall and Doane Dance buildings on South Quad are being used as transition spaces this year. She added that the college “will undergo a planning exercise this year to determine the long term use of these buildings and others on the academic quad.”
Doane Dance, built in 1905, is no longer the official home to the Department of Dance. However, the building will retain the first floor studio, dressing rooms, and a few faculty offices, according to chair of Dance Dr. Gill Miller.
Burton Music Hall, built in 1888, formerly housed the Department of Music but is now used by Information Technology Services (ITS) as employee offices. Chair of Music Dr. Ching-chu Hu mentioned that two classrooms remain in the basement of the building.
The ITS Help Desk is still located in Fellows next to the first floor computer lab, but former ITS offices on the first floor are now occupied by the Departments of Modern Languages and International Studies. Additionally, faculty from the Department of Math & Computer Science now have a few offices on the second floor of Fellows. It is unknown if these changes are permanent.
More information will be shared when available later this year.