SUNY Oswego breaks ground on the new Hewitt Hall

OSWEGO, N.Y. — State and college officials unveiled plans to renovate the Hewitt Union building on SUNY Oswego’s campus as part of a $80-million project to enhance the college.

“The transformation from Hewitt Union, that needed so much, to Hewitt Hall that I think is going to be an icon. It’s going to draw lots of students to our campus. It’s going to be really amazing,” SUNY Oswego President Deborah F. Stanley said.

The building will be renamed Hewitt Hall as the renovations begin, and will be the new hub of the college’s School of Communication, Media and the Arts (SCMA.) The Hewitt Union building previously served as the college’s student center and was briefly used as a COVID-19 vaccine clinic in spring 2021. 

The design of the building will house a state-of-the-art television studio on the ground floor for broadcasting students, and graphic design labs on the second floor. By bringing these students together under one roof, SUNY officials hope they will foster an environment of collaboration between students. 

“They wanted to combine broadcasting with journalism, with music, with theater, with art but our spaces really weren’t conducive to that kind of collaborative work,” said Julie Pretzat, Dean of SUNY Oswego’s SCMA.

The groundbreaking ceremony involved speeches from faculty members, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras and students who will be able to take classes in the Hewitt Union building when construction is completed in 2023. 

“I really believe it’s going to put Oswego on the map for broadcasting,” said Alex Brooks, a sophomore broadcasting student. “I’m really excited about it.”