ArtSci hosts first ever Plaza Palooza
On Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m., the Eccles Science Learning Center was packed with students attending the first annual Plaza Palooza. The event was hosted by the new College of Arts & Sciences to welcome new and incoming students back to USU for the 2025– 26 school year.
The event had fun opportunities for students with different games, activities and food trucks. Students also got to learn more about the college through information booths featuring the different departments and centers.
Lisa Poulsen, the administrative assistant for the college’s Dean’s Office, said they decided to host this event so students could come and get a good first look at this new college.
“This year is pretty special because it’s the first annual hosting of this event and also it’s the first time students will really get a look at this new combined college,” Poulsen said. “We’re here to welcome and show them what we look like now as the new College of Arts and Sciences, what departments we’re going to be, what centers are included, who’s who and where everyone’s kind of landed in this shuffling and recombining of these three big colleges into one.”
Natalie Smoot, the director of staff excellence for ArtSci, said she hoped this event would help students learn more about what the future holds for this new college.
“I think this is a really great opportunity for students to learn about all the departments, centers and clubs we have to offer,” Smoot said. “We want students to feel like they have a community and they have a sense of home here at Utah State. I feel like doing events like this helps students know they’re a part of something bigger and that we care and want them to succeed.”
Poulsen said she hoped this event would get students excited about this new change.
“We want the students to feel like they are part of something exciting,” Poulsen said. “This is a neat new thing. It’s historic, and they get to be a part of it from the beginning.”
This will be the first year the former Caine College of the Arts, College of Humanities and Social Sciences and College of Science will be officially combined into the new college.
This new college is one of two that have gone through restructuring at USU — the other being the new S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, which combined the former S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources and the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences.
USU restructured five colleges into two as part of USU’s strategic reinvestment plan in compliance with Utah’s new state law House Bill 265: Higher Education Strategic Reinvestment. If students are interested in learning more about the restructuring of these colleges, they can visit the USU Changes to Academic Colleges page at usu.edu/president/reinvestment/colleges.cfm to learn more.
Smoot said since this is the first event, they would love to hear from students who attended.
“I feel like there’s always room for growth. If there is feedback from students, we want to know about it to make it better,” Smoot said. “If students have feedback, they can contact one of the student senators.”
This year’s ArtSci student senators are Lily Takemoto, Ryley Cottrell and Breanna Cahoon. Their contact information can be found at the student involvement website usu.edu/involvement/student-association/officers.