Students enrolled in the University's School of Communications will trek off-campus for a limited number of classes during the summer and fall semesters because of upcoming renovations to Carnegie Building.

James Dungan, senior director of the physical plant, facilities management resources, said the renovations will cause the total evacuation of all facilities currently in the building. Carnegie holds about 14,000 square feet of office space, classrooms, and professional film, journalism and advertising laboratories.

"We're going to try to minimize the number of instructional spaces used off-campus," Dungan said."The target is to be off-campus for only one semester."

Dungan -- the administrator who handles all the renting and leasing of property for the University -- said a facilities resources committee held a meeting Feb. 1 to consider the option of leasing either Gatsby's, 100 W. College Ave., or space in the James Building, 121 S. Burrowes Ave.

Dungan said the committee decided to further explore the option of leasing Gatsby's. But a move to Gatsby's is not definite, Dungan said, because of certain technical complications, which he did not wish to elaborate on until they are resolved.

John Cocolin, owner of Gatsby's and The Hotel State College, also at 100 W. College Ave., could not be reached for comment. But an advertisement for Gatsby's -- a large ballroom which recently held a number of rock concerts --claims "accommodations for up to 500."

School of Communications Dean Brian Winston said the school has not made definite plans yet for the date of the move, but said it will take place around May.

"Until I'm told by the administration that rental space has been secured, I really don't know where we will go," Winston said. "It's entirely possible we'll have to think again and delay the renovation."

Wherever the school temporarily relocates, Winston said, the only structural alterations done to the space will be putting up partitions.

Gatsby's will not be available until July 1, Dungan said, "so the lease could not start before that date."

The increased number of students entering the School of Communications resulted in controlling enrollment and rethinking space needs, Winston said.

Winston identified the school's three problems:

-- The task of relocating faculty, office and class space during the renovations on Carnegie Building.

-- Deciding if enough space will exist for all the school's personnel -- including administration -- to return after renovations are completed.

-- Finding a location to place any personnel that might not be able to return.

Ardath Johnson, coordinator of information services at the University's physical plant, said no starting date has been set for the renovation. Johnson was also unable to give an estimate of when construction will be complete.

Winston said he believed renovations will begin in May, adding "the cock-eyed optimists around here believe we will be (done with renovations) in December."

The school's move back to Carnegie is planned to occur over the Christmas holiday, Winston said.

Although Winston said he doubted the "appropriateness of the solution," he said some communications classes most likely will be scheduled at off-campus locations and students will definitely have to trek off-campus to speak with faculty.

"Everybody will be together, so it shouldn't be any more difficult than coming to Carnegie," he said.

Winston said also the move may result in permanently locating the school's administrative offices off-campus.

Winston defined the school's administrative offices as those containing anyone who does not directly interact with students -- such as the Alumni Office and Development Outreach.

Winston said he has already assigned current and incoming faculty members to the planned office space at the core of Carnegie Building --room 126, currently occupied by The Daily Collegian. Johnson said the renovation will add a new floor structure to the Carnegie's core, turning the one-room, single-story space into a two-floor, multi-office area.

In addition to creating a new floor and more office space, Johnson said, the construction will provide air-conditioning for the entire building. Remaining areas -- such as the journalism and advertising laboratories -- will be renovated as needed by the school's programs, she said.

All non-classroom space has been designated for use, Winston said, and even after the renovations, no additional space will be available.

"I have people with still nowhere to go," Winston said.

Eight communications faculty members currently share offices in a single room divided by partitions.

"These are all short-term solutions, including the renovation to Carnegie," Winston said, adding that in order to accommodate 6.5 percent of the University's students enrolled in the School, a building three times the size of Carnegie is necessary.

R. Thomas Berner, associate professor of journalism, said if the school were to occupy space off-campus, it would not be the first time the University bridged the town-gown dividing line of College Avenue. The University has leased the Stanton Building, 1401 S. Atherton St., for several years, a physical plant employee said.

But Dungan, the senior director of the physical plant, said it would be the first time an entire basic academic program was located off-campus.

Co-curriculur activities now located in Carnegie Building -- such as the Collegian -- are critical to the school, Winston said, but these activities remain less vital than teaching spaces when considering the school's primary mission of educating students.