Cathy Hughes School of Communications Facilities Modernization
Howard renewed academic, production, broadcast, and administrative environments across three locations to support the Cathy Hughes School of Communications.
2026-2027 Academic Year Opening Status: Complete.
Modernizing the Places Where Howard Tells Its Stories
Founded in 1971 and named for media pioneer Cathy Hughes in 2016, the Cathy Hughes School of Communications has prepared generations of journalists, broadcasters, filmmakers, researchers, speech-language professionals, and communications leaders. Its history is closely connected to Howard's media institutions, including WHUR and WHUT.
Howard renovated and equipped spaces across Building 24, WHUT, and 1250 U Street, creating renewed classrooms, computer laboratories, production-control environments, podcast facilities, administrative offices, and other specialized settings for teaching and media production.
A Historic Broadcast Institution, Renewed for Contemporary Production
WHUT began broadcasting in 1980 as WHMM, becoming the first public television station in the United States licensed to and operated by a historically Black college or university. The modernization includes a large green-screen production environment and supporting technical spaces that expand the ways Howard students and professionals can create, teach, produce, and share stories.
A Renewed Multi-Site Home
After operating from renovated temporary space at 300 Bryant Street while permanent work advanced, the School moved into its renewed multi-site home. The modernization was completed in 2025, establishing updated environments in Building 24, WHUT, and 1250 U Street that support active academic, media, broadcast, and production use.