It’s finally open.

After more than two years of construction, students are walking through the doors of the new Education and Human Services Building to attend class for the first time this week.

The four-story, $50 million building, which spans 137,000-square feet, is the new home for Central Michigan University’s College of Education and Human Services and the Center for Charter Schools.

Though still a work in progress, Ray Francis, interim associate dean of the College of Education and Human Services, said the building makes a great addition to CMU’s campus.

“The technology is working and people are getting to their classes, it was a pretty good first day,” he said. “I think it’s great.”

Assistant professor of teacher education and professional development Ming Zhang said the building offers many advantages for both students and teachers.

For Zhang, one of the biggest pluses of the building is the technological aspect. He said he loves being able to teach with dual screens: one with overhead visuals and the other with PowerPoint presentations.

“I absolutely love this building,” Zhang said. “I’m going to spend many years here.”

He isn’t the only one impressed – Zhang said students in his EDU 614 class on Monday were very pleased with the atmosphere.

“The thing that strikes me is the classrooms,” he said. “The seats are very comfortable to sit on and the rooms are full of natural light.”

Katie Rinke, a Shepherd graduate student and fifth grade teacher at Sacred Heart Academy Elementary School, 200 S. Franklin St., is taking two classes in the facility to pursue a masters degree in middle-level education.

She said the environment is much more inviting and comfortable than the education program’s previous home in Ronan Hall.

“Professors have more opportunities in this building,” she said. “Ronan may have hindered some of the things they were trying to implement.”

Jeff DeRosia, a Saint Louis graduate student, said the building is much bigger and better than other education buildings he has seen, including the one at Saginaw Valley State University.

Still, he isn’t crazy about the building.

“It’s nice but seems a little too institutionalized,” DeRosia said. “There isn’t a lot of color, it’s a little grayish.”

Abalo Fawui Adewui, associate professor of teacher education and professional development, said the building was absolutely worth the investment and that anyone could see the location is superior to Ronan Hall.

“People are excited to start their academic year in a new building,” he said. “It’s new and has everything I need. People should be proud to be involved with this building.”

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E-mail the author: Joe Borlik