Clemson’s Communication Center enjoys more space, improved tech with move to Watt Family Innovation Center

The Communication Center housed in Clemson’s communication department will now enjoy more space and improved technological capabilities in its new home at the Watt Family Innovation Center. The center initially opened in Daniel Hall in 1997 and primarily supports the oral communication needs of students in communication general education courses. In this capacity, the center has served over 3,000 students per year.

The center’s new space includes a large common area and two soundproofed studios designed for speech recording and analysis. According to Joseph Mazer, chair of Clemson’s communication department, the center will continue to prepare students from across Clemson University in the ways it always has, but the move will afford the center with improved capabilities to serve more students.

“We’re significantly improving our current facility which includes a few computers and a small meeting space to more space equipped with the latest technology,” Mazer says. “Being housed in one of the most technologically advanced university buildings in the Southeast will allow us to provide the best tools to prepare our students.”

Alyssa Davis, senior lecturer in the communication department, has served as the director of the center since 2013 and has overseen the center’s transition to the new Watt Center location. At 1,000 square feet, Davis says the new location in the Watt Center is nearly twice as large as the former Daniel Hall location. The center’s lobby area includes comfortable seating and large flat screen televisions, and it is also wired for recording people in a group or roundtable setting.

Off of the lobby area are two soundproofed studios where the bulk of student and faculty work will take place. These studios include wired podiums and green screens that allow students to display PowerPoint slides, use a teleprompter and even project a virtual audience to simulate the feel of a public speech.

“Students are able to record their speeches so that they can analyze and improve them,” Davis says. “Public speaking and the process of developing and delivering a speech are challenging for everyone, so it’s always great to see the positive impact the center can make in these areas with students.”

Considering the amount of students the center has served in years past, Davis looks forward to serving as many if not more students with the new location’s improved technology and tools. She’s also excited to facilitate new uses of the center for both faculty and students.

“We’re truly excited to be able to increase our capacity to serve students and faculty from across the university, and I can’t wait to discover the new ways this center will be used by everyone at Clemson,” Davis says.

The center is located in room 216 of the Watt Family Innovation Center. For questions about the center, contact Alyssa Davis at alyssa8@clemson.edu.

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