diff --git a/symposion_project/settings.py b/symposion_project/settings.py
index 75c703f36e5b2af9c5a5675af45363c466fd9113..04a1315fcea7f2c2b3fdaa210af7052c67cc3ed5 100644
--- a/symposion_project/settings.py
+++ b/symposion_project/settings.py
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
 import os.path
 import posixpath
 
-PROJECT_ROOT = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
+PROJECT_ROOT = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), os.pardir))
+PACKAGE_ROOT = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
 
 DEBUG = True
 TEMPLATE_DEBUG = DEBUG
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ USE_I18N = True
 
 # Absolute path to the directory that holds media.
 # Example: "/home/media/media.lawrence.com/"
-MEDIA_ROOT = os.path.join(PROJECT_ROOT, "site_media", "media")
+MEDIA_ROOT = os.path.join(PACKAGE_ROOT, "site_media", "media")
 
 # URL that handles the media served from MEDIA_ROOT. Make sure to use a
 # trailing slash if there is a path component (optional in other cases).
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ MEDIA_URL = "/site_media/media/"
 
 # Absolute path to the directory that holds static files like app media.
 # Example: "/home/media/media.lawrence.com/apps/"
-STATIC_ROOT = os.path.join(PROJECT_ROOT, "site_media", "static")
+STATIC_ROOT = os.path.join(PACKAGE_ROOT, "site_media", "static")
 
 # URL that handles the static files like app media.
 # Example: "http://media.lawrence.com"
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ STATIC_URL = "/site_media/static/"
 
 # Additional directories which hold static files
 STATICFILES_DIRS = [
-    os.path.join(PROJECT_ROOT, "static"),
+    os.path.join(PACKAGE_ROOT, "static"),
 ]
 
 STATICFILES_FINDERS = [
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = [
 ROOT_URLCONF = "symposion_project.urls"
 
 TEMPLATE_DIRS = [
-    os.path.join(PROJECT_ROOT, "templates"),
+    os.path.join(PACKAGE_ROOT, "templates"),
 ]
 
 TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS = [