The Washburn Education Department has moved to the 1731 Plass building after recognizing that its previous location, Carnegie Hall, is not handicap accessible.
Education has a new home in the 1731 Plass building which has an elevator, a resource that is unavailable in Carnegie.
“The accessibility problem has been solved, because our rooms are easily accessible with the elevator,” said Craig Carter, a lecturer and field placement director for education at Washburn. “It is at the front of the building near the top entrance so it is a lot easier for the students to find.”
An original suggestion was to put an elevator in Carnegie Hall to make the building handicap accessible: Unfortunately that fix was not possible.
According to the Kansas Historical Society, Carnegie Hall is a state and national landmark after being the one of the only building’s left standing after the Topeka tornado of 1966 destroyed most of Washburn’s campus. Because of the building’s reputation, these types of modifications were going to be extremely difficult and costly for the university.
“The main problem was always that it wasn’t accessible and the fact that it was on the historic registry meant there were going to be problems with making it accessible,” said Cherry Steffen, professor and chair of education at Washburn. “We always requested an elevator, but there were always things that got in the way. Our main goal was to get a space that was accessible to all students so they could get to us.”
For years Washburn staff and students like Washburn alumna Daija Coleman, have fought to fix these accessibility issues on campus. Coleman created projects, petitions and organized events such as “March on Inclusion,” which helped spread awareness to the Washburn community.
“Daija Coleman really started the movement by having peaceful protests advocating for accessibility in all buildings on campus,” said Mia Weiler, a senior education major. “As an education major it is important to us for students to have equal access to their learning and education. I definitely think Washburn took control and listened to the students by deciding to move classes to Plass.”
During the 2022- 2023 school year, the university made a conscious decision to move education classes out of Carnegie Hall and into different facilities across campus. 1731 Plass was not available at the time, so the majority of classes were held in the Washburn Living Learning Center.
At the beginning of the fall 2023 semester the education department was able to begin the move into 1731 Plass. They began remodeling this past summer and continue to work on the remodeling process for two main classrooms in the building.
“I can’t say enough good things about the facilities department and the people who have worked with me on the move,” Carter said. “When I came back in I was shocked. They repainted everything and they changed the lighting to digital lighting and put in new carpet and it made a huge difference.”
The 1731 Plass building has two main floors with a lower level and upper level entryway. It has an elevator which has made it easier for students and faculty to meet with each other and access different parts of the building.
“The students who have been here are pretty excited and get to see more people now,”Carter said. “We are only two floors so it has made it easier for them, plus upstairs we have a student gathering place where the students can lounge and study which is nice for them.”
The education department has placed directions outside of the building that point to the entrance, letting people know where they have moved. 1731 Plass is currently not having classes in the building’s classrooms because of the remodeling, but classes will be held there in the near future.
“Do I miss Carnegie? Sure. It is a neat old building and I love the look, but I am excited to have an accessible space provided for our students, Steffen said. “It was a positive change for us and we are thrilled that the university gave us the opportunity to be in an area that students can be with us.”
According to JuliAnn Mazacheck, Washburn’s president, Carnegie Hall is a part of the seven year campus plan and will be repurposed in the near future.
Edited by LeSha’ Davis and Aja Carter
Ray Makalous • Sep 14, 2023 at 2:18 pm
The state of Kansas will need to have many new teachers in the next decade. I am proud that WU will play a critical role in educating the next generation of teachers.
Ray Makalous BBA 1970