Southeastern announces new broadcast media center
Monday, November 6, 2023 
by: Tonya Lowentritt
SOUTHEASTERN BREAKS GROUND ON NEW BROADCAST MEDIA CENTER – Representatives of Southeastern Louisiana University and other officials gathered together Thursday afternoon (Nov. 2) to celebrate the official groundbreaking on the $40 million renovation of D Vickers Hall. The project will include a new broadcast media center to be named after Southeastern Alumna and Good Morning America Co-Anchor Robin Roberts. From left are Vice President for University Advancement Wendy Lauderdale, Southeastern President William S. Wainwright, Robin Roberts, former Southeastern President John L. Crain, Governor John Bel Edwards, and University of Louisiana System President Jim Henderson.
HAMMOND – Good Morning America Co-Anchor Robin Roberts, Gov. John Bel Edwards,
representatives of Southeastern Louisiana University and officials gathered together
Thursday afternoon (Nov. 2) to celebrate the official ground breaking for the construction
of the Robin Roberts Broadcast Media Center and the $40 million renovation of D Vickers
Hall.
The Robin Roberts Broadcast Media Center will add an additional 33,000 square
feet to the 80,000 square foot academic building and will include three broadcast
media studios – a newsroom, a film studio and a multimedia studio.
The project will be paid for through state Capital Outlay funds and a sizeable
donation from Roberts.
“This facility is greatly overdue, as our faculty and students have been operating
with limited space,” said Southeastern President William S. Wainwright. “The new facility
will greatly enhance the classroom and specialized lab space needed to provide modern
instructional opportunities to our students.”
The finished 113,000 square foot facility will continue to serve its existing
academic programs in English, theatre, foreign language, and communication. However,
the Communication and Media Studies department will include a major expansion of the
curriculum for the cutting-edge broadcast/media facility. The new addition will feature
not only film and TV studios, but also radio studios, foley and film audio studios
and their associated control, support, and edit rooms.
The third floor will contain additional shared classroom spaces for all four
departments within the building. A new reconfiguration of faculty office space will
increase access to natural light and offer more opportunities for student/faculty
collaboration.
In addition to the three broadcast media studios and upon completion of the renovation
and construction, D Vickers will include 104 offices, 27 classrooms, two 100-seat
lecture rooms, five computer labs, and four English/language labs.
Another major component of the renovation is a makeover of Vonnie Borden Theatre.
The renovated theatre will seat 498 people and include scene and costume shops, a
green room, and male and female dressing rooms.
The architect for the project is Holly and Smith of Hammond.
