After nearly two years and $70 million worth of renovations, the former Neuberger Hall, one of Portland State University’s oldest buildings, is now open.
The building, now known as Fariborz Maseeh Hall, will house vital student services such as a new student Financial Wellness Center, the Registrar and Advising offices, Career Center and Student Financial & ID Card Services, to name a few.
The building will also host a new Transfer + Returning Student Resource Center.
The new center will help prospective students transition smoothly to PSU, work to create a culture of belonging and support degree completion through proactive advising and help accessing resources and services.
The center will also provide coordination and support to develop effective transfer agreements, pathways, programs and supportive policies.
Fariborz Maseeh Hall will house several key College of Liberal Arts and Sciences academic departments including English, World Languages and the Fariborz Maseeh Department of Mathematics + Statistics. (See map here).
"The renovated building embodies PSU's commitment to student success,” said Susan Jeffords, PSU provost and vice president for academic affairs. “At the center of campus, this ambitiously designed building pulls together some of the most important resources for students and puts them side-by-side with core academic departments that are part of any PSU student's education. The openness of the building's architecture reflects our efforts to make navigating PSU visible, transparent and accessible to our students."
Fariborz Maseeh Hall Services
Department of World Languages & Literatures, Room 315
English Department, Room 310
Fariborz Maseeh Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Room 460
Financial Aid, 1st floor Student Services Lounge
Financial Wellness Center, Room L130
Registrar, 1st floor Student Services Lounge
School of Art and Design Studio Classrooms and Mac Lab, 2nd Floor
Student Financial Services, 1st floor Student Services Lounge
Technology Help Desk, 1st floor Student Services Lounge
Transfer and Returning Student Resource Center, Room 342
Undergraduate Advising Resource Center, Room 360
University Career Center, Room 342
Nestled along the South Park Blocks, the former Neuberger Hall was originally built in two halves. The first half, on the western side of the building, was completed in 1961. The second half, which includes the Mezzanine levels, wasn’t finished until 1969.
Two years ago, the combination of public money and private philanthropy enabled the university to begin an ambitious project to renovate, modernize and improve the aging building to meet the demands of today’s college students.
The Fariborz Maseeh Hall renovation was made possible by $60 million in public bond funds leveraged by $10 million in matching philanthropic contributions.
A $5 million gift from Portland businessman and philanthropist Jordan Schnitzer via the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation will allow PSU to open a university art museum in the building.
The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at PSU will celebrate its grand opening Nov. 7. Free to the PSU community and public, the museum will feature art by Northwest artists, faculty and students as well as exhibitions by national and international artists.
PSU alumnus Fariborz Maseeh, Sc.D., a pioneer in micro-technology, also made a $5 million investment to help reinvent the building’s spaces to support academic excellence and interdisciplinary connections.
“This remarkable new facility that now stands at the heart of our student success mission would not have been possible without the generosity of these two incredible philanthropists and a big commitment from the state,” PSU President Stephen Percy said. “This building will help transform the student experience and serve as an important new connection point between PSU and the city we serve.”
Photo by Peter Simon