Student Union (Oklahoma State University)

Last updated
Oklahoma State University
Student Union
Student Union - Oklahoma State University.jpg
The Oklahoma State University Student Union
General information
Type Student union
Location Stillwater, Oklahoma
Coordinates 36°07′16″N97°04′07″W / 36.12111°N 97.06861°W / 36.12111; -97.06861 Coordinates: 36°07′16″N97°04′07″W / 36.12111°N 97.06861°W / 36.12111; -97.06861
Completed1951
Renovated1960, 1965, 2000, and 2011
Technical details
Floor area543,411 square feet (50,484.5 m2)

Billed as the largest student union in the world, [1] the Oklahoma State University Student Union is a student activity center for meetings, conferences, meals, recreation, and shopping for students and alumni on the campus of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

A students' union, student government, free student union, student senate, students' association, guild of students, or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, organizational activities, representation, and academic support of the membership.

Stillwater, Oklahoma City in Oklahoma, United States

Stillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of US-177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of 2012, the city population was estimated to be 46,560, making it the tenth largest city in Oklahoma. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical Area which had a population of 78,399 according to the 2012 census estimate. Stillwater was part of the first Oklahoma Land Run held on April 22, 1889 when the Unassigned Lands were opened for settlement and became the core of the new Oklahoma Territory. The city charter was adopted on August 24, 1889. Stillwater is home to the main campus of Oklahoma State University as well as Northern Oklahoma College - Stillwater, Meridian Technology Center, and the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.

Contents

Overview

Constructed in 1951, the Student Union serves as one of the largest and most comprehensive unions in the world. The Student Union was the first union in the United States to be completely funded by self-liquidating bonds. Five major expansions of the Union took place in 1960, 1965, 2000, 2012 and 2016 with an adjacent parking garage built in 1970.

The Student Union was closed during the 2010 - 2011 academic school year for renovation; with the majority of student services relocated to several places around campus like the Classroom Building basement or the "UToo" temporary building.

The Union contains the modern 81-room Atherton Hotel at OSU (formerly known simply as the Student Union Hotel), maintained by the Oklahoma State School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration. The Atherton is named for Oklahoma State alum Bill Atherton and serves as a living classroom for Hotel and Restaurant Administration students while providing luxury boutique hotel services for guests.

The Union is also home to the luxurious Ranchers Club restaurant, a 550-seat theater, art exhibits, lounges, meeting rooms, an extensive food court, bookstores, the OSU Student Store, a recreation center, post office, travel agency, athletic ticket office, and multiple university offices. Many student organizations, including the Student Union Activities Board, are centered at the Union.

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