The auditorium in O’Shaughnessy Educational Center (OEC) has received consistent heavy use for many years and has served its purpose well. Because of many advancements in equipment and technology in recent years, as well as increased use, today the facility is in need of considerable upgrading to reach industry standards.
The OEC auditorium is the largest presentation facility at St. Thomas, yet it lacks the built-in technologies that have become standard to facilities that have been built over the last 10 years. The goal is to bring the OEC auditorium presentation systems up to the standards that are required of it as the primary presentation facility at the university. An essential part of this project is a video system in the auditorium that will be interfaced with the TV studio in the lower level of OEC for recorded and live distribution of major events. A secondary goal is to improve the appearance of the facility.
The auditorium is used for most major presentations at St. Thomas. These include national and international speakers, recruitment and student orientation events, major student-activities events, conferences, and university-wide meetings. Despite the frequency of these important uses, each time an event in the facility requires presentation support, portable equipment on carts has to be used. This not only requires excessive staff time but also increases the risk of equipment or user failure. It lends a less-than-professional look to the presentations. In addition, the controls for the lighting, sound and projection systems are scattered around the room, creating a logistical problem.
The stage drapery has not been changed in more than 20 years. The stage area also needs new furniture for conferences and symposia. This facility should be the signature location of St. Thomas presentation facilities.
Renovations will improve the quality of the presentations in the OEC auditorium, increase presenters’ confidence in the support systems, and create a more enjoyable experience for audiences. Renovations also will be cost-effective by saving money that for years has had to be spent on supplementary sound and lighting rental.
A naming opportunity exists for the auditorium.