As part of the Transform UMSL initiative, the Social Sciences and Business Building is being expanded and modernized to house the College of Education and the Pierre Laclede Honors College, drawing both programs into the academic core of the campus. (Photo by Kala Dunn)
By Kala Dunn, University Advancement
A new building is rising in the heart of the University of Missouri–St. Louis’ North Campus. For four retired faculty members from the College of Education, it’s a dream come true.
The modernized and expanded Social Sciences and Business Building represents a vision that has been in the works for years. The space will be the new home for the College of Education and the Pierre Laclede Honors College, drawing both programs into the academic core of the campus.
(From left) Associate Dean Emeritus Clark Hickman, Associate Professor Emeritus Virginia Navarro, Professor Emeritus Helene Sherman and Dean Emeritus Ann Taylor are all retired members of the faculty in UMSL’s College of Education.
Although it is unlikely that Associate Dean Emeritus Clark Hickman, Associate Professor Emeritus Virginia Navarro, Professor Emeritus Helene Sherman and Dean Emeritus Ann Taylor will teach in any of the new classrooms, they have each made generous gifts to help the new building be the ideal home for the college’s faculty, staff and students. Here, they discuss their time at UMSL, their reasons for supporting the project and their excitement about the future of the College of Education.
Having retired from the College of Education, you bring deep insight into UMSL’s mission. What do you find so special about the work of this university over the years?
Helene Sherman: When I first came to UMSL, I found people who were creating a university. I was excited to get in on something brand new and to work with people who wanted everybody to be a part of it. The reputation of UMSL is that we are here for the students, all students. We are serving the city and county of St. Louis in a way that nobody else is.
Clark Hickman: I was engaged with UMSL as a student and employee for 43 years, and I am proud to be the incoming president of UMSL’s Retirees Association. I’ve seen a lot of changes, both in administration and in the evolution of how students are taught. Throughout all these changes, two things remained constant: a student-centered approach and high standards of excellence for both students and faculty. Focusing on these two areas has been the key to UMSL’s success.
Virginia Navarro: I have taught at other places, and at UMSL our students are hardworking, appreciative and talented. I taught the exit course for our doctoral students, many of whom were first-generation college students with a couple of master’s degrees already, and now here they were in the exit course of a doctoral program. It was awe-inspiring, and I thought this is something UMSL needs to brag about. We are succeeding in getting people to come back, develop their talents and have an impact in the community.
Ann Taylor: Whatever the subject we’re studying, we’re always asking “why.” And that’s very important. But a much, much harder question is to ask “how.” How do you actually make the change happen? UMSL exists in that space of “how.” We’re unique in combining high-quality research with genuine community partnerships to learn how to make the world a better place. We’re engaged with the intersection of practical problems, solutions coming out of theoretical new knowledge, applying the solutions and seeing the process all the way through. We’re learning how solutions work, how we help other people and how we make actual change happen. That, for me, is what is so inspiring.
You give back to UMSL very generously, including support to projects like the SSB renovation. What about this project do you think is most important?
H.S.: What I appreciate about the new building is how they are adapting it for the people who will use it. That is huge. This building says “I know what your needs are:” to talk to each other, to work together, to work separately, to be in front of a classroom and to have the right technology. It’s not just pasted together; each room is dedicated to a recognized need that must be met to effectively teach people how to teach others. Students in the new building aren’t just taking a class. They’re going to improve their ability to teach people by being in those rooms.
C.H.: If you’re in the position to do so, why wouldn’t you give back? It’s a no-brainer. After all of the opportunities this place gave me — opportunities for education, for advancement, for a career, for serving the community — I simply felt that it was important to give back to a university that gave me so much. To the extent that people can contribute to make the learning environment state-of-the-art, to hire the best faculty, and to create surroundings that are scholarly and environmentally amenable to teachers, they should.
V.N.: When the SSB modernization came along, I wanted to honor some of my colleagues who are still working full-time. I was at UMSL for 20 years and loved it. I had wonderful colleagues, and that’s certainly part of my motivation in making my gift. They are hardworking, well-intentioned people of goodwill. I am glad to see the College of Education integrated into the main campus.
A.T.: UMSL is in the midst of a significant and transformative rethinking of infrastructure, one piece of which is providing this building for these particular purposes. This transformation matters greatly, but I think it’s sometimes hard for people to appreciate that need to give to buildings. It is important that the physical environment of the institution is complementary to the quality of learning. Creating high-quality programs is hard work, and when you have them — [as] UMSL does — then the buildings need to sustain and help those programs by suiting their needs.
How will the SSB modernization project benefit future UMSL students and the College of Education?
H.S.: The pleasure of teaching is that you get to have an effect on people for much longer than you realize. I was inducted into the University City High School Hall of Fame, and after the event, people came up to me and said they remembered me and had been my student. And now that the College of Education will have a new building that meets our needs, I think even more students will understand what teaching is all about, will feel good about the room they’re in, and then will go out and make a difference themselves. And making a difference – that’s the whole point.
C.H.: Moving the College of Education from the South Campus into the new SSB space is such an important project. Teaching is a noble profession, and it needs to be in the academic core of the campus. It’s the environmental piece of learning. If you are in professional, state-of-the-art surroundings, you take your studies more seriously. When we are recruiting students, we want the best and brightest to say, “UMSL’s a state-of-the-art education program.” They’ve got faculty with cutting-edge knowledge, they have a serious building, and that’s the place we need to be. Good teachers are vital to a thriving democracy and society.
V.N.: There’s a kind of synergy between departments that is very important. Particularly in a college with such a big graduate program, it is important to be in dialogue with others, and it makes it easier when you can run into each other on campus while having a cup of coffee. New things will bloom out of that.
A.T.: The thing that has always mattered the most to me is high-quality experiences for the students. What I’m excited about personally is that the College of Education students will at last be interacting more regularly with students from other programs, and other programs will see what we do in the college. It was wonderful being on South Campus, but it’s also going to be wonderful to have opportunities to potentially interact with faculty, staff, donors and others that perhaps we haven’t been bumping into on the paths. I hope the building really does allow that coming together.
What excites you about UMSL’s future? What makes you most proud to be a part of the university’s next chapter?
H.S.: I have always felt that getting an education is the most important achievement one can make because it is a lifelong investment in whatever one wants to do. As UMSL builds new and improves upon existing buildings, it is making changes that will alter our students’ knowledge, help them believe in their accomplishments and make contributions to current and future needs. By being fortunate enough to watch students, faculty and staff work in a new environment, I feel a part of the exciting changes and am so proud to do so. UMSL certainly made significant changes in my life, and I treasure those. My experiences with others and working to contribute to UMSL have made it clear that St. Louis will greatly benefit from the wonderful new and enlightening changes, leading to making it possible to continue to learn and help each other in new, exciting and significant ways. I’m so happy to watch that happen.
C.H.: UMSL’s brightest days are ahead because of a forward-thinking mission that emphasizes excellence, student inclusion, and research and instruction that benefits the community. The university has always been nimble in adapting to new challenges and societal demands while remaining true to its academic mission. These traits excite me about UMSL’s future and will serve its students and community well.
V.N.: There is clear research that people who have an education manage to find a way through life’s ups and downs and find satisfaction. I think we are so monetized in all we do in the outer world that the inner world of knowing yourself has deteriorated. Universities like UMSL play a huge role in quality of life and the kind of deep thinking we need for today and tomorrow’s problems. I’m very proud of the College of Education’s international focus and awareness. It is a big, wonderful world out there. Once you get away from a narrow worldview, it opens up your thinking about so many things. I think the College of Education is on the right track by having that international consciousness and giving our students opportunities to experience it.
A.T.: At a university, the end of the story is about ideas, knowledge, curiosity and excitement. That happens more robustly and in a dynamic way when the setting is right. I have wonderful colleagues at the college, and I hope the new building gives them a boost and a sense of being appreciated. It’s a statement that says, “you matter.” And to the students, it says, “you are doing well, and we believe in your ability to do even better.” Through this new building, we have an opportunity to inspire the next generation.
A bright future awaits the College of Education in its new home, in part thanks to the generosity of Hickman, Navarro, Sherman and Taylor. To learn more about supporting the SSB modernization and expansion, visit umsl.edu/giving or contact Julia Simpson, director of development, at juliasimpson@umsl.edu or 314-516-6105.
