Linked to the proposed Library, the Humanities Center is part of the Master Plan to integrate learning, research and social spaces more effectively.
- With three floors devoted to classrooms, faculty offices and informal gathering areas, the Humanities Center will integrate students and faculty as never before.
- Small, intimate learning spaces facilitate a more personal learning environment that demonstrates our commitment to personal attention.
Features of the Humanities Center
Exterior
- An exterior wall with large sections of glass facing the main pedestrian street along the Quad will be an open, inviting façade.
- The Center will be sited along Park Avenue and the Quad, forming the new heart of the campus along with the new Library and Chapel.
Interior
- The Forum, an open three-story space, will become the University’s primary indoor public atrium, linking all classrooms and offices in the Center.
- An open staircase inside the Forum will form an active link between the three floors of the Center.
- Classroom and office space will be integrated throughout the Center to further interaction between students and faculty.
Spread over three floors, the Humanities Center will provide a home to several University departments including English, History, Religious Studies, Philosophy, Political Science and Psychology. In the proposed Center, more than 50 faculty offices and 16 classrooms will be interwoven to create an atmosphere that’s conducive to both academic and social interactions between community members.
The physical layout of the Center will support an evolution in learning and teaching styles, where lecture-based classes are held alongside smaller, more intimate classes that focus on interaction and discussion. Larger lecture halls will intermingle with spaces that facilitate small group settings where students and professors can communicate and work together more effectively.
The three floors of the Center will be connected via the “Forum,” the primary interior public space on campus. The Forum will be an open three-story space into which all classrooms and academic departments will flow, creating a logical gathering spot for both formal and informal interactions.
The first floor of the Center will feature a café, a large tiered classroom for presentations, and a lecture hall. The second and third floors will contain a mix of smaller classrooms and office space, with a bridge on the second floor connecting the Center to the Library.
With three floors of learning and faculty office spaces integrated seamlessly, the Humanities Center is destined to become the academic heart of the campus. The three floors of the Humanities Center will connect faculty, students and staff in an open, community-inspiring environment.
The already vibrant Sacred Heart University campus will continue to grow and thrive with the campus improvements outlined in the Master Plan. The Humanities Center will reflect a new way of teaching, a new way of learning, and a new way of living together as a campus community.