Students at the School of Social Studies – A New Addition to the Townscape of Östersund | 1971 |
In 1970, the Government authorities decided to expand the School of Social Studies in Sweden. In May of the following year, it was decided that a new School of Social Studies would be located in Östersund and that it would open as early as the autumn of that year.
It was a busy time for the organisation committee that was to prepare the start-up. In just a few months, they hired teachers, found premises at Frösö Hospital through the county council, purchased literature and equipment, and arranged accommodation for the staff and students. The activities began according to plan in the autumn term of 1971, and there was even time to arrange a joint “kick-off” for the staff and students at the inn in Aspnäs.
Initially, there were 180 beginner student places; 120 in the social work programme and 60 in the administration programme. But given the brief start-up period, only 60 students were admitted in the autumn term of that first year and 120 in the spring term. The admission capacity increased after a few years to 240 beginner students, which meant that 600 students could be enrolled at the school at the same time. The temporary premises at Frösö Hospital soon became insufficient, so new buildings were constructed on Rådhusgatan and were ready to be occupied in the spring term of 1975.
The students became a new addition to the townscape of Östersund. Press cuttings reveal that not all town residents saw this in a purely positive light, for example the students who were staying at the so-called patient hotel made a great commotion by taking shared saunas and then cooling off in the snow.
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