State University of New York at Fredonia has begun a $52 million renovation of Jewett Hall in an effort to centralize many essential student services.
The university says the renovated facility will serve as a Student Success Center that houses key student-focused offices including Career Development, Academic Advising, Financial Aid, Student Accounts, the Registrar, and the Advancing Completion through Engagement Office.
The building also will house programs that support global learning and access such as International Education, International Student Services, Study Abroad, Educational Development Program, and the Honors Program.
“This project is about removing barriers for our students,” said SUNY Fredonia President Stephen H. Kolison Jr. “By bringing critical services together in one place, we are making it easier for students navigating their academic journey."
The facility will also have classrooms, conference and multipurpose spaces, a tranquility room, and student lounges.
The renovation is part of Fredonia’s "Building Towards Student Success" initiative, which focuses on improving students' access to services and campus resources.
Constructed in 1962, Jewett Hall served as a center of science education, housing laboratories, faculty offices, a lecture hall and a planetarium. Science departments have been relocated because of the construction of the Science Center and the renovation of Houghton Hall in recent years.
The Jewett Hall renovation project will reconfigure much of the building’s interior while preserving and rehabilitating the existing planetarium and 200-seat lecture hall.
The upgrades are expected to be completed in 2028.
