The College of Humanities and Social Sciences will be celebrating the opening of the new CHSS building with a ceremonial ribbon cutting this Friday, March 20, at 1:30 p.m. The ceremony will be followed by an open house from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. All are encouraged to attend the ribbon cutting and open house.
“This is a very special moment for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences,” Dean John de Castro said. “We’re a relatively new college. This building is the centerpiece of the college, sort of the central point for the cohesion or the college.”
The ribbon cutting ceremony will be at the west entrance to the building, considered the main entrance of the building.
The following open house will involve events scattered around the building hosted by the various departments included in Humanities and Social Sciences. There are also post-open house events planned for several departments within their own headquarters after the main open house.
It will also feature specially written poetry and essay presentations by Dr. Melissa Morphew and two students, and Dr. Paul Ruffin. Speeches and presentations will also be given by President James Gaertner, Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean de Castro, and Chancellor of the Texas State University ystem Charles Matthews. According to de Castro, other dignitaries may also attend, but as of press time, there were no other official confirmations.
There will also be a musical performance by the SHSU Women’s Choir as well as students dressed in both historical and ethnic attire. The ROTC Color Guard will also present at the ceremony.
“This is a major event for the university in general, not just for the college,” de Castro said. “This is a fabulous building, and we’re very pleased [for the open house to] happen.”
According to de Castro, the transition into the new building has been relatively smooth, with few major issues, except an issue with too many students and too few chairs.
“The transition has been really remarkable,” de Castro said. “There’s been just about no problem.”
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences ranks fifth in the nation in social sciencesfor specialized research universities and is SHSUs home for the departments of Communication Studies, English, Foreign Languages, Family and Consumer Sciences, History, Mass Communication, Political Science, Psychology and Philosophy, and Sociology.
The new CHSS building is located between Academic Building IV and the coliseum and is home to the departments of Psychology, Philosophy, Foreign Languages, Sociology, and Political Science. The departments moved when the new CHSS building was erected, but the English, History, and Mass Communication departments have remained in their respective buildings. It is also home to the well-known computer lab, in CHSS 130. The lab is open 24 hours a day and is considered an ‘open-access’ lab. It has 103 computers, including some larger monitors for greater readability and handicap access.