On the campus of Christian Brothers University, the new Rosa Deal School of Arts is set to open in just a couple days. The building is meant to take the university into the future while remembering its past. That past begins with the woman the building is named after.
“[Dr. Rosa Deal] was the first female faculty member at CBU, so in that respect, we are very proud of her achievement in that regard,” says Paul Haught, Vice-President of Academics and Student Life at Christian Brothers University.
Dr. Deal was an Italian professor at CBU with a passion for foreign language. After she passed away in 2012, she left the university a gift which made the new building possible.
“I think students are just excited because there’s something new on campus that they get to enjoy,” says Haught. “This is their university. This is a facility that is built for them.”
It should be noted this is a building for the arts, plural. Programs like education, behavioral sciences, and religion are all being housed here. It replaces Kenrick Hall, the first building ever on CBU’s campus, but there are still a few reminders of the old building that used to sit on the site.
“We’ve got brick from Kenrick hall, so we did want to preserve that. This is a kind of carry over from the original building on the site,” says Haught.
Students won’t have to wait long to call the Rosa Deal School of Arts home. The grand opening is set for Monday, January 23rd.
