Sustainable Commons: Bringing Multimodal Composition and Digital Media Production to the (Physical) Center of Pacific University
Alfred Weiss, Pacific University
Marita Kunkel, Pacific University
Construction of the Media Commons began over 18 months ago—the first tables arrived in January 2013, and at that time we reconfigured the Classroom to support collaborative learning. The planning and preparation for the facility was active for over a year prior. This preparatory time was one of conversations—conversations within the Library, conversations with university administration, conversation with departments and programs, and conversations with outside experts. These conversations allowed us to create the plans for a vibrant and sustainable collaborative learning space in the heart of the Library, one that would be relevant to the curricular and scholarly needs of the University community. But more importantly, this conversational approach to planning laid the foundation for the continuing management, financial support, and growth of the facility. Like the media landscape itself, the Commons could not be a static space. Rather, the facility would need to transform itself and grow as both the technologies and methods of media production changed over time. Even now, we will continue to nurture and develop the conversations we have begun in the planning stages of this project, deepening existing relationships and seeking out new collaborative opportunities. These partnerships and our planning for continual change are the keys to the fiscal and academic sustainability of the Commons. This collaborative approach ensures that the Commons will not become outdated and unused in a short time, but will remain a vital and relevant resource for Pacific University well into the future.