A Message from President Tuajuanda C. Jordan

The September 2019 dedication of the Jamie L. Roberts Stadium was a point of tremendous pride for the National Public Honors College. It marked the first outcome of our successful $2.5 million campaign that helped secure $75 million from the state of Maryland. Today we celebrate the completion of the Performing Arts Center and Learning Commons, a $66 million stunning dual outcome of that same generous support from the state and the College community.

We celebrate an auditorium within the Performing Arts Center that our students, faculty, and staff will share with the greater community. The inaugural performance in the auditorium of Carmina Burana this afternoon and the evening’s concert with Average White Band are just the beginning. Join us on October 7 for a national panel discussion about inalienable rights followed by a host of events to come.

Our new Learning Commons facility provides much-needed space for classrooms and study groups. A café and outdoor plaza create a welcoming gathering place for all.

We did it. Six years and three facilities: a new sports complex, a new performing arts center, a new learning commons. Thank you, one and all, for your outpouring of support and for believing in St. Mary’s College.

Project History

Design of the Performing Arts Center and Learning Commons facilities began in the winter of 2017 and concluded in fall 2019. Construction started in winter 2020 and continued through the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2022, the Learning Commons opened in time for the new cohort in the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. The Performing Arts Center opened in September 2022.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: the GUND Partnership of Cambridge, Massachusetts, led by David Zenk and Rena Yang. GUND Partnership brings 50 years’ experience in design of educational facilities that are sustainable and highly adaptable.

ARCHITECT OF RECORD: GWWO of Baltimore, Maryland, with team members Mark Lapointe, Chris Elcock, Lauren Park, Samir Taylor, Matt Ames, and Nia Young. GWWO is nationally recognized for the design of educational and cultural spaces.

LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, Alexandria, Virginia. An awardwinning landscape architect with a national reputation, Michael Vergason has been a key inspiration for over 30 years behind St. Mary’s College campus development as a primary member of the College’s master planning team. MVLA’s Ana Quintana and Matt Sickle served as project managers for this project.

CONSTRUCTION: Holder

Construction Company, Herndon, Virginia. Holder’s construction management portfolio includes the Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech, the Fine and Performing Arts Center at Bowie State University and the Katzen Center at American University. The firm’s team included Todd Fehd (project executive), Nick Schmidt (superintendent), Sean Keens (asst. superintendent), Michelle Austin (project manager), Michael Bell and Landry Guyton (project engineers) and Denise McNeil (accountant).

ACOUSTICS AND AUDIO/VISUAL TECHNOLOGY: Jaffe Holden, Norwalk, Connecticut. Jaffe Holden provided acoustic design for Lincoln Center’s Juilliard School, Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, and The Kennedy Center. Steven Schlaseman (project manager) and AV designer Ben Bausher (audio/visual designer) were crucial to the acoustics and technology for the Performing Arts Center and the Learning Commons.

The PERFORMING ARTS CENTER creates additional space for all of the fine arts programs. The 50,233 gross-square-foot building features:

• A 700-seat auditorium, designed with concerthall quality acoustics as well as the flexibility to accommodate lectures, multimedia presentations and performances

• A 125-seat recital hall with telescopic tiered seating

• Sound-insulated rehearsal studios and specialized studios for percussion, piano and electronic music

• Classroom and office space for the Department of Music

The Performing Arts Center building is designed to meet LEED Silver certification standards. It includes solar panels and electric vehicle charging stations.

The landscaping features multiple rain gardens, a new Crescent Green lawn, a pine grove and a new academic courtyard with a bubbling fountain – these all serve together to create a new gathering space for students on the southeast side of campus.

The NEW MAJOR IN PERFORMING ARTS , with its three concentration areas of music, theater/dance/performance studies, and integrated performing arts, is intentional in its learning outcomes to prepare future performers with the professional skills they need to create in the post-pandemic, technology- and social media-driven marketplace. Faculty in music and theater collaborated on the integrated curriculum, combining the best features of existing programs in music and theater with courses in dance, sound and light design, stagecraft, scriptwriting, musical composition and arts administration to connect creative expression with professional skills needed to make a career in the performing arts.

The LEARNING COMMONS is the new home of the Department of Educational Studies, relieving space constraints in their former home with the science programs and clearing the way for new STEM laboratory space there. The 16,291 gross-square-foot building features:

• Office and classroom space for educational studies and the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) programs

• 24-hour Study Commons for student use

• Brew’d Awakening Café serving coffee, beverages and light snacks

Integrated technology in the Learning Commons classrooms scores high with the educational studies faculty, from dual displays in classrooms to integrated class capture. Moveable furniture makes it simple to change room layouts to support different learning groups and needs. Students enjoy the 24-hour study spaces and the convenient location of the café.