I can't see the parallel hairs on the center of the leaves. I see lots of finer hairs on the edges, though. So my guess now is that it is not an azalea.
Example of leaves on one of my azalea:
View attachment 318806
I tried to take a picture of an azalea with red shoots (because it has red flowers), but it was hard to capture the hairs properly because of lighting and focus:
View attachment 318807
So because of very fine hairs on the edges of the leaves, but not the larger parallel hairs all over the leaf surface, I'd say I am not sure enough to say it is an azalea.
Looks a lot like one though in terms of how the shoots have grown and where the leaves are placed. So if you do see the hairs, I guess it is. Otherwise, might it be a rhododendron?
Wait, so the plant you saw at the college campus which you think is the same plant. I think I see fruits that look exactly like those of azalea, exactly at the base of the new shoots where the flowers used to be. I'd that that plant is an azalea. So if they are the same, yours is. So I am unsure. Can you take an in focus picture of the dead flowers/fruits?