About the Toulan Library

Designed with Student Needs in Mind

As the Urban Center was planned and constructed at the turn of the 21st century, a key feature was an extensive and well-designed library on the 7th floor adjacent to the Office of the Dean. The library was supported and appointed by a generous gift that recognized Dirce Moroni Toulan. Since 2000, the library has supported the academic mission of the College.

Over the past decade and a half, student learning resources and teaching pedagogies changed dramatically. Two significant changes that were the driving force behind the 2022-2023 renovation of the library to better serve student needs were:

1.) The development of electronic access (largely supported by the PSU Library) to a vast trove of learning materials including academic journal articles, government documents, research reports, reference materials, and books. Libraries in colleges and universities have seen circulation of physical materials drop as students substitute electronic access that is flexible regarding unique schedules and needs.

2.) The alignment of perspectives by higher education faculty about the value of teamwork-based projects and the expectations of many employers that their employees are able to work effectively in collaborative teams.

3.) A student-led charette prompted the pursuit of funds to transform the space where student collaborative learning could thrive, and where special events and panels geared toward community learning could occur.

OUR DONORS

The Toulan Library renovation would not be possible without the our generous donors: the Toulan Family, Arthur C. Nelson and Patricia Schechter. Because of their time and dedication, we are able to offer a relevant, transformative and collaborative space to our students, our community and our community partners. Every effort has been made to renovate the space as sustainably and responsibly as possible. All of the quality wood furniture and stacks that were previously in the space have been carefully preserved, refinished, modified or transformed into custom furniture, displays and trim. This was made possible by the truly gifted and creative carpentry skills of the PSU Facilities Construction team, the concise communication and lobbying from CUPA students and the vision and determination of the CUPA Dean’s Office staff and administrators.

The Toulan Family

Nohad & Dirce Toulan’s children, Mariam and Omar, established the Dirce Moroni Toulan Endowment for the CUPA Library as well as the Nohad & Dirce Toulan Endowed Scholarship, posthumously after their parents’ abrupt and tragic death in 2013. These endowments, as well as their valued interest in CUPA, has helped preserve and continue the work their parents started.

About the Toulan Family

Arthur C. Nelson

Arthur C. Nelson, a three-time PSU/CUPA alum, is a prolific and celebrated author and professor who is ranked 9th nationally among more than 1,000 planning professors in the quality of published work based on scientific metric. He is also a valued friend of CUPA. In addition to the library renovation contribution, he and his wife Monika have established the Arthur C. & Monika Z. Nelson Endowed Scholars Fund, and the Arthur C. & Monika Z. Nelson Endowed Doctoral Fellowship Fund helping to support students on their path to shaping and supporting communities.

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Patricia Schechter

Patricia Schechter—a CUPA professor and expert in women’s history, public history, and transnational history—contributed on behalf of her late husband Nick Fish. Nick was a Portland City Council member from 2008-2020, who also served as a member of CUPA’s Hatfield School advisory board. Patricia has established an annual scholarship in Nick’s name for Hatfield undergraduate and graduate students. She has also donated Nick’s City Hall library, which offers fascinating insight into Nick’s mind, interests, and friendships over his lifetime of service to diverse communities.

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A Note of Gratitude

The CUPA community would also like to offer a special thanks to Professor Emeritus Sy Adler, who retired in 2023 after 41 years of service. In addition to all of his contributions as a Professor of Urban Studies and Planning and various other roles and Directorships, he was also CUPA’s Associate Dean from 2013-2019. In 2019 he was asked to serve as CUPA’s Interim Dean; shortly thereafter the pandemic struck.

His leadership, selflessness, and skillset creating and serving communities saw us through a stressful, fearful, and trying time. His vision, commitment, and loyalty to CUPA reflects that of the Dean who had the good sense to hire him in 1982, which was Nohad Toulan. Sy’s commitment to transforming the Dirce Moroni Toulan Library to better serve students sparked his pursuit of funds from our generous donors to move the project forward.