Letter to the Editor: Renovations for Hyde Hall with Nothing Left Over for Humanities

Bridgett Tauro

Contributor

3/6/25

The financial crisis at PSU is imminent and important to correct, but why take away such an integral part of this school’s community? There are ways of financial planning other than terminating faculty that have supported the students for years, some 20+. I am wondering what constitutes the 10 million dollar renovation on Hyde Hall this past year instead of funding for the Humanities programs. This administration would like to turn Plymouth State University, the school founded on honor and creativity, into an all-business school while sugar coating their disregard for the Humanities.

We all had a requirement for our General Education called Tackling a Wicked Problem where we learned about systematic problems like climate change, mental health, and human trafficking and were tasked to find solutions. If I knew that Plymouth State University was going to be a part of the teacher shortage, lack of creative arts, and glorifying business overall, I would have never enrolled in this institute. Funding is a pitiful excuse to cut the creativity and diversity in this school. We are in a time of social regression where the rights of human beings are being infringed on, and we are just supposed to accept this school’s complacency?

In my three years enrolled at PSU, I have had an amazing time. I have made friends for life, connected myself to my studies, and found advisors in professors I never thought I would, but that would not be the case without the Humanities. The discredit and blatant disrespect to people’s education this school shows and is going to make PSU the laughingstock of the college realm, I am embarrassed to be associated with that.

If this change is final, I hope the dedicated students in the Humanities, Communications and Media Studies, Theater, Arts, and Political Science majors and minors will be able to finish their desired degree as that is the sole reason those students spend their time, money, and life working for. I also hope the first year and second year students, the ones who were marketed a school that is a 180 turnaround from what the school actually is, will be able to find an institution with more respect for their knowledge and determination than the one that is failing them.  

With anger and disappointment,

Bridget Tauro

Psychology and Social Work

Class of 2026