Grinnell College Celebrates Humanities and Social Studies Center with Dedication Event
The Grinnell College community came together for the formal dedication of the Humanities and Social Studies Center (HSSC) on Saturday, October 1. Trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, students and community members were invited to celebrate the new and renovated spaces, which support teaching, learning, and collaboration. The event included tours of the building, a formal dedication, and an all-campus luncheon on Kington Plaza. In addition to the HSSC dedication activities, the weekend included multiple athletic competitions, musical events, and a wide array of educational and cultural programming. A number of alums and friends of the College who have named spaces in the HSSC returned to Grinnell for the dedication celebration.
Dack Professor of Chemistry Jim Swartz made the opening remarks at the dedication, thanking numerous campus partners for their efforts to make the HSSC possible. Remarks were also given by: Robert McClure, AIA, NCARB; Erik Simpson, Samuel R. and Marie-Louise Rosenthal Professor of Humanities; President Anne F. Harris; Beronda Montgomery, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College; Jivyaa Vaidya class of 2023; and Michael Kahn class of ’74, who serves as chair of the Grinnell College Board of Trustees.
Simpson, speaking for the faculty, said, “This building is intended to be part of our academic home: a home to students from around the world, to the staff and faculty of the College, to our communities in Grinnell and beyond, to people of all backgrounds and abilities.
“Unlike many other colleges and universities, the College turned its focus, fully and earnestly, to the humanities and social studies. The resources and thought we have devoted to this building represent something special and very much worth celebrating: Grinnell College’s ongoing commitment to teaching and learning across all areas of the liberal arts,” added Simpson.
Jivyaa Vaidya is a senior economics and Chinese double major from Indore, India. At Grinnell, she serves as the Student Government Association’s (SGA) vice president of academic affairs, as well as president of the International Student Organization. Vaidya spoke about student experiences in the HSSC. “The one thing that is common across all these things is that the HSSC, with all its windowed walls, abstract furniture, quirky yet brilliant design, cozy nooks, and wonderfully well-equipped spaces … is loved. It has been loved since the first day it was opened to the students in 2019 and when it was re-inaugurated after its renovation in 2020.
“I think I can speak for the entire student population when I say that the HSSC is something that we are all very grateful for. It is the building featured the most in our Instagram posts, the architectural marvel that looks the prettiest during an Iowa sunset, and the space that makes several students, including me, feel inspired, productive, and motivated,” added Vaidya.
Features of the Humanities and Social Studies Center (HSSC)
The HSSC reimagines what an academic building should be in the 21st century, while retaining and celebrating the heritage of the Alumni Recitation Hall (ARH) and Carnegie Hall. The three-story, 196,600-square-foot center fully opened in 2021. It includes four pavilions — the new North and South pavilions and the restored ARH and Carnegie — all connected by a central three-story atrium.
The HSSC Project Leadership Team, comprised of Grinnell College faculty and administrators, along with architects from EYP and OPN, developed a set of goals for the project:
- Bring all the social studies and non-fine arts faculty into a single complex to support interdisciplinary engagement
- Create classrooms of sufficient size and configuration to support engaged learning
- Provide support for modern technology
- Develop spaces for student-faculty research
- Incorporate spaces that build community
- Celebrate the historic architecture of ARH and Carnegie
- Employ the principles of sustainability and universal access throughout the design and construction process
After the opening, it didn’t take long for students to take advantage of the HSSC’s academic commons, research rooms, team rooms, and the 39 technology-enriched classrooms. It has quickly become a favored campus spot to study and collaborate; it also plays host to many meetings and community events.