TU breaks ground for College of Liberal Arts Building
Ceremony launches construction for university’s first entirely new academic building since 1977
TOWSON, Md. (Sept. 12, 2007)—Towson University broke ground for a 250,000-square-foot College of Liberal Arts Building on Wednesday, Sept. 12, on the former site of the Lida Lee Tall building.
The College of Liberal Arts Building, TU’s first entirely new academic b uilding in 30 years, will complement the university’s historic structures while setting the standard for future projects with its 21st-century design and innovative use of interior space.
(Hawkins Hall, Lecture Hall and the Psychology Building—all opened in 1977—were the last academic buildings to be erected on the TU campus.)
When completed in 2011, the College of Liberal Arts Building will function as TU’s “public face” along Towsontown Boulevard.
TU President Robert L. Caret said of the project, "The new College of Liberal Arts Building will add visual excitement to our campus and serve as a learning center for our students as well as the community. Towson University provides a strong foundation in the liberal arts, and this building reflects our continued commitment to that effort."
Construction will consist of two phases at a total cost of $120 million. Phase One, to be finished in spring 2009 for fall occupancy, will include three 90-seat classrooms, three 45-seat classrooms, eight 36-seat classrooms and seven seminar rooms. Phase Two, to begin in late 2009, will include 13 45-seat classrooms, 17 mid-size classrooms and 24 seminar rooms. The building is expected to be completed in fall 2011.
The College of Liberal Arts—the largest of TU’s eight colleges—includes the departments of English; Family Studies and Community Development; Foreign Languages; Geography and Environmental Planning; History; Philosophy and Religious Studies; Political Science; Psychology; Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice; and Women’s Studies.
The college enrolls 3,470 students and employs 450 full- and part-time faculty members. It has graduated close to 25,000 alumni to date.
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