The College of Arts and Sciences has unveiled a new Social Sciences Hub in Jubilee Hall, creating a centralized space designed to foster collaboration, connection and academic support for students across disciplines.
The hub aims to bring together departments that have operated independently, offering students a one-stop space for resources, advising guidance and community-building, Eugenia Providence, senior director of college operations for the College of Arts and Sciences, told The Setonian.
Providence said the hub was created to address noticeable gaps in student access to information.
“I noticed…there’s no centralized place for all the students to get information,” Providence said. “That did not resonate well with me.”
She noted that departments often functioned separately, creating what she described as “siloed” experience for students.
To bridge that divide, Providence created the Social Sciences Hub and hired Marisol Garcia as a program manager to oversee its operations.
“I thought [the program manager position] was a really good way to bring some harmony to what felt disjointed,” Providence said. “I could not be happier with who we chose.”
Now leading the hub’s daily operations, Garcia is focused on ensuring the space is both a practical resource and a welcoming environment for students.
“As the hub is still developing, the idea is really to be able to provide services for our students within the social sciences unit in regard to any help they need with their programs,” Garcia said.
Students also played a significant role in shaping the hub’s design and services, Providence said.
“They were very instrumental,” Providence said. “I gave them a lot of license on what the room looked like, what services should be offered.”
The hub is intended to serve as an accessible resource center. Students can receive academic support, connecting with advisors and, in the near future, exploring internships and job opportunities.
Providence added that the hub will become especially useful during the course registration period, which begins on April 15 for the Fall 2026 semester.
“Marisol can help with giving people registration pins,” Providence said. “She can help with directing you to your academic advisor if she looks at your DegreeWorks to see that you have a hold.”
In addition to academic services, Providence and Garcia emphasized the importance of creating a sense of belonging within the space.
“I don’t want this solely to be a hub where people come in and ask a question and leave,” Garcia said. “I want them to feel at liberty to sit here.”
The hub includes areas for studying and collaboration, including a small nook where students can complete homework or talk with peers. Garcia also integrates student workers into the space to help foster a stronger sense of community.
“Instead of them being siloed in a room by themselves waiting for a task, we’re getting to know each other and creating community,” Garcia said.
Providence also emphasized inclusivity as a central mission of the hub.
“We don’t want anybody to feel excluded. We want to make sure that we are very inclusive,” Providence said.
“Marisol’s…mere presence has made that feel like a place where everyone is welcome. Everyone is seen and I think that in today’s time, that’s very important for our students,” she added.
To promote the space, the college is relying heavily on student engagement, including word-of-mouth and social media outreach.
“Marisol has been in a couple of Instagram reels already that have gotten a lot of traction,” Providence said. “We are trying to meet students where they are.”
Looking ahead, the hub is expected to expand its offerings with more targeted programming, including events, discussions and university partnerships.
“We are hoping to soon be able to work with departments to develop more targeted and intentional programming for students,” Providence said. “Whether that be participating in events or roundtable discussions. I’m a big fan of a spirited debate.”
Providence also pointed to a potential collaboration with the Campus Inclusion Center to “create programming that targets our students who don’t live here, who have to drive to get here, take the bus to get here.”
“A huge population of our social science students, in particular, are commuter students,” Providence said.
Garcia ultimately hopes the hub will evolve into more than just a resource center.
“I want this to be a place of community and gathering,” she said, “their centralized home away from home within the social sciences.”
Megan Pitt is the head editor of The Setonian’s News section. She can be reached at megan.pitt@student.shu.edu.