Renovations to Wesleyan Hall, the oldest building on campus, began May 18 after funding was approved in March. The building had not received renovations for 25 years and appeared, to both students and professors, to be falling apart.

“I remember the rafters falling,” said Claudia Vance, chair of the foreign language department. “One student even got hit in the head with a fallen ceiling tile.”

Renovations are being conducted by King & Associates General Contractors and include renovations to the main hall as well as the Annex, home to UNA’s ROTC program. Renovations include refinishing hardwood, replacing carpet, repairing plaster, repainting interior, waterproofing exterior, repairing spouts and replacing windows, officials said.

“The windows in the Annex have not been replaced since 1988,” said Director of Facilities Administration and Planning Michael Gautney. “We’ve been trying to get the windows replaced for five years.”

Prior to this year, there were no capital reserves or facility funding to allow any renovations to the deteriorating building, he said. The extent of the deterioration within Wesleyan had gone too far, though, and some faculty members said they were shocked.

“To see them tear down the walls was distressing,” Vance said. “All the mold and mildew, and I was thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, we were living in this.’”

Gautney said the renovation is not just for the incoming students this fall, but for generations to come.

“Wesleyan is the original building on campus,” Vance said. “Maintaining it is maintaining the symbol of the university. It’s up to us to fix it. The serious damage – rotting walls, mildew – leads to health issues. It got to the point where people were using air purifiers. These renovations will impact health, too — they’re not simply to look pretty.”

According to the university website, faculty offices were relocated to Willingham Hall over the summer to “pave way for renovations.” Renovations are expected to be completed by Aug. 1. 

“The main thing we want to do is provide students with a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere to learn and study in,” Gautney said. “This is long overdue and I think the upgrades, like the lay-in ceiling light fixtures in the main corridor, are something the students are really going to love.”

Students, faculty and staff can expect obvious and subtle changes to be seen throughout Wesleyan, but the changes will not affect how faculty who teach in Wesleyan feel about returning to it.

“I’m anxious to get back home,” Vance said. “I’m grateful for the space we’ve been given, but I miss home. They’re really going as quickly as they can.”