A crowd of political science enthusiasts, including students, faculty and alumni, gathered outside Packard Hall Friday evening to witness its official re-opening as the new headquarters of the Department of Political Science.
The ceremony, hosted by the Department of Political Science and the Office of Alumni Relations, included remarks by University President Lawrence Bacow, University Provost and Senior Vice President Jamshed Bharucha and Political Science Department Chair Robert Devigne.
"The gods are shining on Tufts, they are shining on Packard Hall, and they are certainly shining on the political science department," Devigne said in his opening remarks.
Packard Hall, built in 1856 as the university's first dormitory, underwent extensive renovations last year at a total cost of $7.1 million. The Political Science department moved to Packard Hall from its old offices in Eaton Hall early this summer, a transfer that many believe better accommodates the department.
"We really did need this space," Political Science Lecturer Michael Goldman said.
The departments of religion and anthropology moved into the third floor of Eaton, previously home to the political science staff.
"Political science is a pretty huge department on Tufts' campus, so they should have a bigger space to accommodate the students," junior Ariana McLean said.
The limited space in Eaton failed to comfortably house the department, and students often packed the hallways outside professors' offices, Bharucha said.
The department has among the highest number of majors on campus and additionally serves many international relations majors.
"This is a wonderful department; it has been for a long time," Bacow said in his speech during the event. "We were really pleased to be able to help make this happen."
When the university first approved the Packard Hall renovations, it originally intended the building to host administrative offices. However, administrators decided the renovations would better serve an academic department, Bharucha said in an interview during the event.
"For a building right on the quad, there should be priority given to an academic program," Bharucha said.
Walter Wright (A '79), who worked with Tufts political science professors during his successful race for the school committee in Needham, Mass., said that the move to Packard was crucial for a department that emphasizes interaction between students and professors. On a personal note, he emphasized how this interaction can extend beyond a student's undergraduate years.
"The department played a helping role in my life," Wright said.
The department's new conference room, which includes office chairs and a round table, has served to foster more interaction, and faculty members are already noticing a difference.
"Students are showing up to class early to get the good chairs," Associate Professor of Political Science Deborah Schildkraut said.
Tomas Valdes, a junior majoring in political science, said that the new building also improves students' experiences outside the classroom, creating an environment that is productive for studying and meeting with other students.
The renovations have also proved valuable for professors, who now have their own offices. In Eaton, it was not uncommon to see three or four professors crammed into the same office. There was little space for books, which often had to be stacked in the hallways.
"It couldn't have been safe from a fire-hazard perspective," Schildkraut said.
Though the move to Packard has proved successful for the political science staff, Bharucha said that other departments experiencing growing pains are also in need of new offices.
"We have a serious space problem at Tufts," Bharucha said. "There are many departments who are sorely in need of space, and we recognize that. We just have to do it one at a time."
