Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

USU to Construct New Building for Language Programs

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/12/21

The Utah State Legislature recently approved the construction of a new home for Utah State University’s foreign language programs. The $17-million Mehdi Heravi Global Teaching and Learning Center will house all of the university’s language-based programs under one roof.

The Legislature approved $14.5 million in state funds for construction of the new facility. An additional $2.5 million will come from private donors, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Legislature had already approved the project in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic effected budget cuts.

Though all the university’s foreign language classes fall under the umbrella of the Department of Languages, Philosophy, and Communications Studies, they’re spread across four different buildings. “The Mehdi Heravi Global Teaching and Learning Center will bring together in one location all language-focused programs in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences,” said Joseph P. Ward, Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Ward estimates that about 2,200 students enroll in lower-division foreign language classes each year. Amenities in the new building will include conversation, teaching, and computer writing labs; and centralized spaces for student advising, studying, and tutoring. It will also contain the university’s Intensive English Language Institute.

The new facility is named after USU alumnus Mehdi Heravi, an Iranian-born teacher, scholar, philanthropist, and author. Heravi has established multiple scholarships at the university.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Florida District Completes Construction on New Leadership Institute

    Pinellas County Schools near Tampa, Fla., recently announced that construction is complete on the new Dr. Michael A. Grego Leadership Institute, according to a news release. The district partnered with Rowe Architects for the project’s design and with Skanska for construction services.

  • UTampa Breaks Ground on STEM Academic Facility

    The University of Tampa in Tampa, Fla., recently broke ground on one of its largest academic facilities ever, according to a news release. The Dickey Science Innovation Center will measure 153,000 square feet and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Philadelphia Middle School Facility Earns LEED Gold Certification

    The Alternative Middle Years (AMY) at James Martin Middle School in Philadelphia, Penn., recently received a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a news release. The School District of Pennsylvania partnered with KSS Architects on the project.

  • KWK Architects Announces Full Transition to Lawrence Group Branding

    KWK Architects recently announced that it will complete its transition to the Lawrence Group brand effective July 1, according to a news release. The merger marks the end of a three-year strategic integration process that began in March 2023 to unite the firms.