Facilities--Buildings and Laboratories
The Department of Human and Community Development is housed in four unique buildings that provide classrooms, laboratories and outreach facilities for faculty and students.
Bevier Hall
The administrative offices of the Department are headquartered in Bevier Hall. This building erected in 1955 was the first building to be named for a woman, Isabel Bevier, the founder of the program in Household Science in 1900. The building is shared with the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and includes many offices and classrooms as well as the Bevier Café and the Spice Box which provide a great place for a meal, snack or just a place to hang out and study.
The Child Development Laboratory
In order for students and faculty to study and learn about child development, the Department operates preschool and child care program in two specialized university buildings. The original Child Development Laboratory was built in 1955 and provides space for children's programs. Today there are both half-day and full-day programs for children ages 3-5 years of age. The building includes an observational deck and study spaces with one-way mirrors so that students can observe the teachers and children.
The Early Child Development Laboratory
In 2003, a second building, the Early Child Development Laboratory was built for children from six weeks to three years of age. This building includes specialized research and observational rooms that allow students and faculty to observe children’s growth and development. A specialized room also allows for children to be videotaped for further study.
Christopher Hall
In 2004, Christopher Hall was erected. This is only the second building on campus to bear the name of a woman! Doris K. Christopher is the founder and chairman of The Pampered Chef ®, Ltd. a Berkshire Hathaway company and the premier direct seller of high-quality kitchen tools sold through in-home demonstrations. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Ms. Christopher wanted to give back to her alma mater and generously donated the funds to build a new building devoted to the study and education of issues related to family resiliency—the result was Doris Kelley Christopher Hall. In addition to creating wonderful offices and classroom space, the building houses the Family Resiliency Research Home, unique laboratory which simulates a "real" family home to facilitate study of family relationships and processes through observational research and the Family Resiliency/Autism Resource Center is a resource and referral center for parents and professionals. These unique facilities provide many learning opportunities for students.