The dedication of the Annette Caldwell Simmons Education and Human Development Building will take place on Friday. (REBECCA HANNA/ The Daily Campus)

Not only is the Annette Caldwell Simmons Education and Human Development Building that opened this fall a symbolic home for the education school, but it unifies faculty and students and enables SMU to have a greater impact on the community, said David Chard dean of the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development..

“Before the opening of this building, the faculty and staff had been in over 11 or 12 different buildings. We didn’t see one another…it [made] it difficult for students to find faculty,” said Chard.

As a discipline, education has been part of SMU’s curriculum since 1914 in “some shape or form,” Chard said, but it was officially reinstated as a school five years ago.

There were a lot of functional problems for the Education and Human Development School prior to the completion of this building.

“We existed five years ago, but when no one sees you, it’s really hard to gather much momentum around student interest and alumni interest,” Chard said.

The building was a gift of $20 million from Harold and Annette Simmons. Mrs. Simmons, for whom the building is named, is a graduate and former professor of education at SMU.

The dedication of the new building, located on University Boulevard near Airline garage, will take place on Friday at 10 a.m.

The event will consist of brief talks by President R. Gerald Turner, Dean Chard, a member of the Board of Trustees and a faculty member. An open house will follow the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Junior education minor, JoJo  Shipp, said she has been inside the building but has not had a tour.

“I’m excited to see all the new aspects of the building at the open house,” she said.  

The school focuses on three functions: developing research and evaluation in the human service area, continuing development of strong professional preparation, and striving for community impact.

The building permitted the coalescence of these functions.

Students can only minor in education at the undergraduate level in Texas.

However, there is a new major for undergraduates in applied physiology and sports management.

The school also offers doctoral programs and teaching certificates at the graduate level.  

While there are many new classes, the school hopes to offer a master’s degree in higher education, expand the doctorate program as well as offer a master’s degree or specialization in urban school leadership.

The primary purpose of the Education and Human Development School is not to increase enrollment.

Currently there are 163 undergraduate students, 35 of which are majoring in applied physiology, and 947 in the graduate program, which includes both masters and doctorate students.

However, not all of these students are housed on the Dallas campus.

“We don’t intend to be a very large school. What we really hope though, is that [our programs] will be model programs. We want to create well-respected programs that other [colleges and universities] will want to know why they are so good,” Chard said.

Dr. Scott L. Davis, assistant professor of applied physiology, feels one aspect of the building that will separate this school from other schools is the new technology, specifically in the new lab for applied physiology and sports management.

“Without this building, we wouldn’t be as effective,” research associate Kelyn Rola said.

The new building has six classrooms and two labs. Also located in the building are offices for faculty and staff.

Although the building serves to unify the school, two degrees are not offered at the Dallas campus.

Counseling and dispute resolutions, both master’s degrees and/or certificates, are only offered at the SMU campus in Plano.

“They are established there and very successful. We have a family-counseling center there where students do their family practicum. [It’s] the only thing in Collin County where families or individuals can get counseling for either low cost or no cost,” said Yolette Garcia, assistant dean for External Affairs and Outreach.

As for the new Simmons Building on campus, there’s still some work to be done, according to Shipp.

Though the labs are still waiting for equipment and not all of the doors are properly labeled, “the big difference is that everyone is in the same building,” she said.