The School of Humanities is poised to occupy Holy Cross Hall at the start of next semester. Once they are moved in, every dean’s office will be in a new or remodeled building on campus said Vice President of Finance and Administration Kim Kvaal.

The moving process is already under way for offices in Holy Cross Hall, which has been undergoing repairs and renovations since December 2016. Faculty and staff will have their new offices turned over to them Jan. 2.

Repairs conducted on Holy Cross include work on the roofing, windows, masonry and interior spaces. Holy Cross will now have a faculty hub as well. During the renovations, mobility in the surrounding area has been affected, with portions of the sidewalk being closed off.

Faculty and staff from various buildings on campus will re-occupy Holy Cross, and many of those are people currently occupying Andre Hall. Though the hall will be occupied in Spring 2018, “it’s expected that Andre will be razed per the master plan to make room for a new academic building,” Kvaal said via email.

Built as a residence hall in 1955, when St. Edward’s was an all-male university, the building has been home to the dean and staff of the School of Humanities since 2002. Faculty members also have offices in Andre, as does Hilltop Views.

Noting that Andre is about as old as she is, Humanities Dean Sharon Nell said she “can’t wait to explore our beautiful building.”

Mentioning the enjoyable aspects of Andre, Nell said, “right outside my offices is a wonderfully large lobby and when we have gatherings, people are in the lobby, down the halls. I will remember the great conversations and celebrations that we have had in Andre.”

Transition to Holy Cross Hall is quickly approaching, however, and Nell said that since she only has a few weeks left in her current office, she prefers “to remember Andre with fondness.”

Additionally, Andre has unique qualities not seen in other buildings around campus, including gender neutral restrooms and traces of asbestos encapsulated by the carpet. Hilltop Views first reported on Physical Plant’s testing of the floors that provided these results in 2013.

Andre Hall derives its name from Brother Andre Bessette, the first Holy Cross Brother to receive status as a saint.

Still in the works are the Conference Rooms in Holy Cross, which will be functional in Spring 2018. Secondary moves will also take place once Holy Cross occupants have gotten settled. These moves will encompass Doyle Hall to Sorin Hall, Andre to Doyle and others.