Outlook

Open for Business: Centennial Hall revitalized

Friday, September 28, 2007

This historic scene played out over two days nearly 60 years ago, as classes campus-wide were cancelled Dec. 3-4, 1948, to allow students, faculty members and staff to cart and carry furnishings and books from Old Main to the new Stewart Hall. Stately Old Main, on the right, had served as the hub of campus administrative and academic activity since its completion in 1874. Construction cost was $50,000.

Similar scenes were observed this past spring and summer as sections of the newly renovated Centennial Hall were turned into the new home of the G.R. Herberger College of Business, the philosophy department and the Center for Student Success. In this photo business students are taking advantage of a warm May day to transport items from the old Business Building to new offices in Centennial.

An extensively renovated Centennial Hall opened this fall as the new home of the G.R. Herberger College of Business, and completion of the project is the SCSU Foundation’s current fundraising priority. Much of the building that for 30 years was known as "The Library" has been transformed this past year into offices for College of Business faculty as well as classrooms, an auditorium, breakout rooms, student common areas and a network research lab. The majority of the work has been completed, and the project is expected to be finalized in the spring of 2008.

The five-floor building also now houses the philosophy deparment and the Center for Student Success, which combines academic student services including the Advising Center, Career Services, Student Disability Services, Honors Program and the Multicultural Academic Center. An expanded Husky Bookstore occupies nearly half of the ground floor of the building whose groundbreaking in 1969 commemorated the institution’s 100th anniversary.

The SCSU Foundation has pledged to raise $2.2 million to complete funding for the $15.2 million project. The state funded the balance of the cost. For more information on how to support the project, contact Terri Mische, director of development, G.R. Herberger College of Business, at 320-308-6676.

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