A $7.3 million renovation project at Western Maryland College will completely change the school's academic buildings by the end of the school year, college officials said.

The major restorations will occur in Memorial Hall, the fine arts building, Alumni Hall and Levine Hall. Other minor changes and improvements will be made to the college's art studio, and some faculty offices will be relocated to other buildings on campus.

"It'll be interesting for new students," Ethan Seidel, vice president for administration and finance. "It will definitely be hectic because [students] will be working around all of this."

The renovations are being financed by a $1 million gift from Clementine L. Peterson of Baltimore, a $1.9 million state loan that will be matched by the college and other donations and loans. The fine arts building will be renamed Peterson Hall. Memorial Hall, one of the oldest buildings on campus, will be renovated in two phases so students and faculty can continue to use it.

The new Memorial Hall will have more classrooms. All faculty offices will be on the top two floors instead of spread throughout the building, Mr. Seidel said. The lower two floors will be reserved entirely for teaching.

Elevators will be installed in Memorial, Alumni and Peterson halls to meet federal accessibility requirements.