Editorial : Centralized building vital for College of Human Ecology’s future

Two Syracuse University graduates pledged $15 million to the College of Human Ecology, which will change its name to the David B. Falk College for Sport and Human Dynamics this summer.

The donation by David and Rhonda Falk, class of ’72 and ’74, respectively, will allow for a new graduate major, more intense female recruitment and the move into the former College of Law building, once the law school’s new building, Dineen Hall, is completed. The disparate buildings that comprise the College of Human Ecology hinder its ability to foster a student community, and the donation and relocation will greatly revitalize the culture of the school.

Departments and schools with central locations, such as the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications or the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, offer landmarks that incite a sense of pride and attachment. Human Ecology requires this home base even more so because the six majors — in some cases — have little to no overlap. A central space would allow students who may never have class together, such as a child and family studies major and a sport management major, to mingle.

A central location will also make day-to-day administrative operations easier, as the current administrative office sits on the fringe of campus, nestled discretely among off-campus student housing. A more significant change is the centralization of professors’ offices, some of which are located off campus at Drumlins because of a lack of space.

As the college also expands recruitment efforts to women and international and graduate students, a central location will also facilitate tours, which are made more difficult by the college’s dislocated state. Though big changes to the culture of the school are a ways away, students, professors and alumni can certainly look forward to a strengthened community as a result of the Falks’ donation.