Renovating Samuel Reed Hall

When the fences went up around Samuel Reed Hall, informally known as "Hall Hall" and the construction workers started pouring in, students in the area began to wonder what was going on at the vacant building. Samuel Reed Hall, a former residential hall last used in the fall of 2012 and spring of 2013, is undergoing some major construction. 

Many theories were thrown around by students who passed by the building every day, some saying it was being remodeled to be used as an upper-classman residential complex, others saying there would be places for students to get food inside, and others believed that the entire building was going to be demolished to make room for a brand new structure.

"I figured something had happened there that made the building unlivable, so they had to renovate it," said David MacNeill, a first-year student. "I would pass it everyday and wonder what all the construction workers were doing there,

but I don't really know what's going on."

All of these theories however, are incorrect. Students can now put their skepticism to rest. Starting in the Fall 2014, Samuel Reed Hall will be used as an academic building. The main programs being taught in the new academic building will be PSU's Nursing program, the Counselor Education program, and the Psychology program.

"We found that we had more housing than we needed and not enough academic space.  The building needed significant renovations, so it was a good time to make the change," said Julie Bernier, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Bernier continued, saying that Samuel Reed Hall will also be the new location for The Center for Rural Partnerships and Center for the Environment. It will also hold additional classrooms for any future programs.

The project, which was suggested a little over a year ago during the process of creating a campus-wide Master Plan, began last spring. Currently, workers are in the process of replacing windows and performing demolition inside the building. The transformation of Samuel Reed Hall into an academic building should be complete sometime in the Fall of 2014.