Last fall, Ferris State University faculty, staff and students, as well as community members, alumni and friends, gathered in the lobby and crowded the second- and third-floor overlooks of the new Timme Center for Student Services (CSS) to officially dedicate the renovated facility.

Named for alumna and University benefactor Abigail Smith Timme, the building that for decades had served Ferris as its library received a $10.5 million renovation over the past year.

Ferris President William Sederburg emceed the dedication, which included remarks by Ferris alumnus and Board of Trustees Chair Bruce Parsons, Ken Neumann of architectural firm Neumann Smith & Associates and Glenn Granger of Granger Construction Co.

President Sederburg dedicated the building by presenting a ceremonial key to Student Government President Kaci Baars, representing the students who will be the future stewards of the building.

Following the presentation, Baars recounted a conver-sation she heard following the Homecoming bonfire.

“I overheard students talking about what they could do to enhance Ferris pride and spirit around campus,” she said. “Students don’t have these conversations at a place they don’t care about, a place that doesn’t make them feel special. Thank you all so much for this wonderful facility.”

Ferris President Emeritus Robert Ewigleben spoke movingly about Abigail Timme, whom he met in 1972. Ferris was the source of Timme’s only formal education, said Ewigleben—she completed her studies in 1914 but was unable to receive her degree due to an internship opportunity in Grand Rapids arranged by Woodbridge Ferris. She finally received her degree in the spring of 1972 and made a generous gift to the University, beginning a legacy of support that continues to this day.
“The name Timme is very significant to the history of Ferris,” Ewigleben said. “For that name to live on, through the library, and now, through this beautiful building, is a wonderful tribute.”
The new CSS includes a dramatic glass atrium in which students can register for classes, apply for financial assistance, ask questions and make payments at any one of several stations staffed with student services professionals. Having these services in one central location provides “one stop shopping” convenience for students. The building also houses historical displays including photos, artifacts and Ferris memorabilia, as well as the President’s Office and offices for the division of academic affairs and several departments of the division of student affairs.
The CSS is the second of three major building dedications at Ferris State. In 2001 the Ferris Library for Information, Technology and Education opened, and the University’s expanded HVACR and Construction Technology Management Center is slated for completion later this summer.