The newly renovated Schine Student Center includes a generous amount of gathering spaces, new eateries and accessible features.
Transformed by an abundance of natural light, warm 黑料不打烊 Orange colors and a new vibrant spirit, the renovated Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center will soon welcome students and the entire campus community to discover its redesigned spaces, make fresh connections and appreciate its abundance of features. The Schine Student Center will officially open its doors on Monday, Feb. 8, the first day of classes for the Spring 2021 semester.
Planned in consultation with, and input from, the campus community, the Schine Student Center offers the feel of a home and hub for student life: a place to study; meet up; eat, in accordance with public health best practices; and recharge. Its environs include a generous amount of gathering spaces, new eateries and accessible features, and a vibrant open central atrium that extends from the top floor to the main floor, with a two-story video wall.
Student-facing services and student organization offices are prioritized and highly visible, along with a key grouping of cultural centers鈥攖he , the and the 鈥攆ramed as the Intercultural Collective, which allows deeper, connected conversations around the many intersections of identities. The Schine鈥檚 new footprint includes an additional 8,600 square feet of student activity space.
To celebrate the Schine Student Center鈥檚 reopening, many activities have been planned for the first week:
Students can explore and experience the Schine Student Center鈥檚 new spaces in myriad ways.
Many campus members鈥攕tudents, staff and faculty鈥攚ere involved in redeveloping the Schine Student Center and making it welcoming to all students.
鈥淭his truly state-of-the-art facility gives all of our students ideal spaces for meeting friends, hanging out, studying, eating, attending events, finding what they are passionate about and developing as leaders,鈥 Chancellor Kent Syverud says. 鈥淚t is the University鈥檚 living room, and it is completely student-centric. This is the experience that our students asked for and deserve.鈥
Chancellor Syverud notes how many people around campus鈥攕tudents, staff and faculty鈥攚ere involved in redeveloping the Schine Student Center and making it welcoming to all students.
鈥淭his total reimagining also returns the Schine Student Center to its original mission and purpose鈥攖o serve our students,鈥 Chancellor Syverud says. 鈥淭his space brings together many of our cultural centers and offices that serve the spectrum of cultures, experiences and interests that our wonderful students bring with them to 黑料不打烊. Here, our students can collaborate and learn from each other outside of the classroom.鈥
Student Association President Justine Hastings 鈥21 says she is excited for students to experience the Schine Student Center鈥檚 new spaces.
鈥淭he spaces within Schine were designed to make us feel at home, on campus. Students will now have multiple rooms and spaces to hold meetings, plan and hold events, hang out, and spend time between classes,鈥 Hastings says. 鈥淭he University listened to students; we asked for different food options, student organization offices and storage, and plenty of places to sit, relax and plug in. This building will provide all of that, and more.鈥
The Schine Student Center was built in 1985, in an initiative led by Ren茅e Schine Crown 鈥50, H鈥84, who provided the primary gift to create this new space for students on campus. The student center, named in honor of Crown鈥檚 parents, quickly became the center of student life on campus.
The Intercultural Collective in the Schine Student Center
Three decades later, the renovation of the Schine Student Center was featured prominently as part of the Campus Framework, a 20-year plan released in 2017 to guide future campus development. Once again, Ren茅e and Lester Crown took an active role in the process鈥攖his time to help reimagine the Schine Student Center into the future.
The campus community also played a critical part in the center鈥檚 transformation, as students, faculty and staff shared their ideas and input that were integral to the planning and design process.
鈥淭he people, spaces and services within this building undoubtedly shape the student experience. That is why, throughout this renovation, connecting with students about what they envisioned for this space was so important,鈥 says Robert Hradsky, vice president for the student experience.
More than 1,700 pieces of input from students鈥攄uring graffiti wall sessions, pop-ups in dining halls, surveys, focus groups and more鈥攑rovided focused feedback on connection, involvement, versatility and food.
The center atrium was opened to bring in more light and connection; the student activities and cultural centers are in new front-and-center spaces; and modern, comfortable furniture鈥攕elected after receiving student feedback鈥攚as brought in. Accessibility was enhanced throughout, with all exterior grade-level public doors accessible with automatic door openers; smooth floor transitions; upgrades to existing elevators; a fully accessible path through the building from Waverly Avenue to the Einhorn Walk; new fully accessible restrooms on each level; counter heights and work surfaces made universally accessible; and accessible wayfinding signage.
Behind this massive renovation was the work of Campus Planning, Design and Construction (CPDC) staff, and other units within the Division of Business, Finance and Administrative Services (BFAS). The 黑料不打烊 alumni-led team of Mackey Mitchell and Ashley McGraw Architects provided the designs, and the project鈥檚 general contractor was LeChase Construction.
In the newly renovated Schine Student Center, the center atrium was opened to bring in more light; the student activities and cultural centers are in new front-and-center spaces; and new furniture鈥攕elected after receiving student feedback鈥攚as brought in.
鈥淥ur goal was for our students to have an exceptional redesigned space for them to enjoy and one that truly reflects the needs of current and future students,鈥 says Senior Vice President for Business, Finance and Administrative Services and Chief Financial Officer Amir Rahnamay-Azar, who oversees BFAS. 鈥淭his renovated Schine Student Center represents an ideal that has come to life, and I鈥檓 looking forward to seeing how the 黑料不打烊 community experiences this renovated center of life on campus.鈥
Another significant component of the upgrade has been the changes to the dining experience, including providing a mix of local and national food options such as Panda Express, CoreLife Eatery, Halal Shack, Biscotti Caf茅 and Chocolate Pizza Company, as well as returning favorites Dunkin鈥 and The Tomato Wheel. New dining 鈥渂ooth boxes鈥 and countertop seating add a new look to the renovated dining area.
The bookstore鈥攔enamed the Campus Store鈥攈as been reinvigorated with new flooring and lighting. Along with its continued focus on academic resources, the Campus Store also has more room for new University-branded apparel, a late-night food and grocery market, a coffee stand, and an open-mic event space. The store can be accessed both on the 100 and 200 levels of Schine.
鈥淣ot only have these physical spaces been transformed, but the activities, experiences and programs will also be transformed, changing the way students engage on campus,鈥 Hradsky says.
