Applied Human Sciences celebrates a new home

Karen Herland

A permanent home was built on the Loyola Campus for a department of 1,600 students plus 22 full-time and more than 30 part-time faculty in just over a year and a half.

“I’ve learned it takes a village to move a department,” said Varda Mann-Feder, chair of the Department of Applied Human Sciences.

She spoke at the opening party held in the new space on Nov. 4. It was an opportunity for students, staff, faculty, graduates and retirees to visit the facilities, now occupying two floors of the Georges P. Vanier library building. The executive of the AHS student association was available to provide tours through the new facilities.

One of two state-of-the-art classrooms now occupies what was originally an open atrium. Smaller “break-out” rooms are nearby for group work. The space and furniture are flexible, reflecting the needs of the department.

The move was conceived by previous chair Randy Swedburg in 2003 because it was clear that the department could no longer be divided between two campuses. The project was taken over by Mann-Feder.

In her presentation at the party, she credited Robert Roy, Vice-Dean of Planning, Arts and Science, with dubbing the move The Miracle Project. Roy said that he has moved more than half of the Faculty in the last five years. This summer, in addition to the AHS move, the Communications Studies and Journalism departments moved to new digs in the CJ Building. Several departments were also moved into the Hall Building.

Both Roy and Stéphane Prem, project coordinator in Facilities Management, were given plaques in honour of their efforts.

David Graham, Dean of Arts and Science, joked that the Department of Applied Human Sciences was one of the most “mysterious aspects of the faculty” when he first came to Concordia.

“I now know that the department is large, complex, vibrant and singular in the Canadian context.”

He said that the AHS department’s move was part of the renaissance of the Loyola Campus.