Kent State recently spent $50,000 to solve a problem that university architects say has been around for a long time.

About $41,000 was spent on 10 pedestrian wayfinding signs, and $9,000 went to their installment.

“We had a lot of comments from visitors and people on campus who said it’s hard to find your way around campus when you’re new,” said Michael Bruder, director for Design and Construction. “The wayfinding signs makes the Kent campus easier to navigate for everyone.”

The signs follow a similar route to the typical tour for prospective students, starting at the Michael Schwartz Center. Other signs are placed in areas close to the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, Eastway Center and the Student Center. Bruder said the new signs are beneficial because they can be seen from further distances.

Bruder said he’s hoping to place a total of 15 to 20 signs, but more funding is needed. He said, so far, the signs have been placed in the most critical areas on campus.

Thomas Euclide, associate vice president of Facilities Planning and Operations, said Kent State has had signage plans since the mid-1990s.

“This is something we’ve been talking about for a long time,” Bruder said. “Our master plan for signage was put together in layers and implemented in phases. The current signs seem to be more successful than anything else we’ve had before.”

Euclide said the pedestrian signs include pictures of the main buildings on campus to help visual learners match up the location they need to find. He said before this year, Kent State lacked any kind of pedestrian signs to help direct people around campus.

“The new signs provide a variety of graphical ways to give visitors directions to where they are going,” Euclide said. “The signs have more visual cues to help people find their way.”

Amanda Pease, sophomore pre-accounting major, said she approves of the new pedestrian wayfinding signs.

“I think they’re beneficial for freshman tours,” Pease said. “When I was a freshman, we didn’t have them, and at that time, I didn’t always know where I was going.”

Bruder said he is interested in hearing what the public thinks of the signs.

“We’re always looking for feedback,” he said. “We’re interested in seeing if people understand the new signs.”

Contact Megan Wilkinson at [email protected].