A special ceremony is scheduled during NDSU Homecoming Week to honor a longtime university vice president. The Living/Learning Centers will be renamed the Mathew Living Learning Center to honor Prakash Mathew, recently retired vice president for student affairs.
The event is set for Saturday, Oct. 11, at 9 a.m. in the lobby of Living Learning Center West.
Scheduled speakers include NDSU President Dean L. Bresciani; Sarah Russell and Hilary Haugeberg, student body president and vice president; Robert Lauf, Erik Diederich and Jack Burns, former student body president, former student body vice president and past Residence Hall Association president; and Mathew, vice president for student affairs emeritus.
Rian Nostrum, Residence Life director, will give welcoming and closing remarks.
Mathew served the university for 34 years, including more than eight years as vice president for student affairs.
According to Nostrum, the recognition is a fitting way to acknowledge Mathew’s many contributions. “Prakash began his career in the residence halls providing direct service to NDSU students. He maintained that focus throughout his career,” he said. “His leadership and vision shaped the concept of the Living/Learning Centers. After his long, distinguished service to NDSU, his presence will remain through the renaming of these residence halls.”
Mathew led the Division of Student Affairs in providing services to students in 23 departments and programs with 370 benefitted employees and more than 850 student employees. During his career, Mathew played a key role in bringing student issues and concerns to the forefront – students remained central to his work.
Through Mathew’s leadership, academically focused learning communities were developed, and the Living/Learning Centers were designed to bridge living environments with learning opportunities. Living Learning Center East opened in fall 2003 and Living Learning Center West opened in fall 2008. Each building includes four floors, with a total capacity of 332 beds in 140 studio apartments and 48 four-bedroom apartments.
The proposal to rename the buildings to honor Mathew was a student-driven effort. The NDSU Student Senate and the Residence Hall Association passed resolutions calling for the change, and the State Board of Higher Education gave formal approval in May.
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.