Student center

Last updated
Student Activity Center on the campus of Texas Tech University TTUstudentunion.jpg
Student Activity Center on the campus of Texas Tech University

A student center (or student centre) is a type of building found on university and some high school campuses. In the United States, such a building may also be called a student union, student commons, or union. The term "student union" refers most often in the United States to a building, while in other nations a "students' union" is the student government. Nevertheless, the Association of College Unions International (largely US-based) has several hundred campus organizational members in the US; there is no sharp dichotomy in interpretation of union in this context. The US usage in reference to a location is simply a shortened form of student union building.

Contents

History

Photograph of Houston Hall of University of Pennsylvania taken in 1896, the year the student center was opened. Reportofsuperint1896penn 0515.jpg
Photograph of Houston Hall of University of Pennsylvania taken in 1896, the year the student center was opened.

The first student union in America was Houston Hall, at the University of Pennsylvania, which opened January 2, 1896 [1] and remains in operation to this day. The first Ohio Union at Ohio State University was Enarson Hall. [2] The building opened in 1911 and was the first student union to be built at a state university and the fourth of its kind in the United States. [3] Oklahoma State University's student union opened in 1950. Subsequent additions, and renovations in 2010, have made the building one of the largest student activity centers in the world at 611,000 sq ft (56,800 m2). [4] [5]

Some student centers carry unique origins and historical significance with some on the National Register of Historic Places. The William Pitt Union was originally constructed in 1898 as a hotel and was converted into a student center in 1956. [6] Some student activity centers on the NRHP include O'Hara Student Center (University of Pittsburgh), McKenny Hall (Eastern Michigan University), and the Tivoli Student Union. [7] [8] The Tivoli Student Union was originally home to the Trevoli Brewing Company but since has been converted to serve several institutions in Denver, Colorado. [9]

In 2007, the University of Vermont's student center became the first LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. [10]

Other examples of student centers include West Virginia University's Mountainlair, the J. Wayne Reitz Union at the University of Florida, the Bronco Student Center at Cal Poly Pomona, the McCormick Tribune Campus Center at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and the Price Center at UC San Diego.

The first student center in the United Kingdom was at the University of Liverpool, built 1910-1913 for the Liverpool Guild of Students and listed on the National Heritage List for England from 1975. [11] Another historically important student center is Newcastle University Students' Union Building, built in 1924 for what was then Armstrong College of Durham University and listed from 1987. [12] Many student centers were built as part of the rapid expansion of higher education in the UK following World War II with architectural styles ranging from classical to modernist; the brutalist Dunelm House, built in 1966 for Durham Students' Union, is considered "the foremost students’ union building of the post-war era in England" and was listed in 2021. [13] As of 2021, these are the only three student centers to have been listed in England. The conversion of former polytechnics to universities in 1992 sparked further construction of student centers at the new universities, examples including the students' union buildings of Sunderland University and the University of the West of Scotland, both built in 2004. [14]

Purpose

Broadly speaking, the facility is devoted to student recreation and socialization. A student center or student union is the community center of the college, serving students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guests. A student activity center might offer a variety of programs, activities, services, and facilities. [15]

It may contain lounges, wellness centers, dining facilities or vendors, and entertainment venues. The student center is often the center of student affairs and activities and may house the offices of the student government or other student groups. It may also act as a small conference center, with its meeting rooms rented out to student groups and local organizations holding conferences or competitions. An example of this for instance is the Michigan Union, which hosts the University of Michigan Model United Nations conference.

Depending on the school and its location it might have unique amenities such as a bowling alley, cultural or prayer rooms and unique services. At Eastern Michigan University Student Center the building offers a kiva, a round, 360-degree room patterned after spaces used in Native American cultures. [16] The Kiva Room at EMU is used as a meeting space, for collaboration, or for musical purposes. [17] In the Ohio State University-Ohio Union, the student union offers an interfaith prayer room which has feet washing area for Muslim students. [18] The University of Central Florida has an eyewear and optometric consumer service location. [19] Likewise, a Canadian example would be at the University of Waterloo where the student life centre holds many different businesses and services such as a dentist office, a used book store, piano rooms and study rooms that can be reserved for use, and a multi-faith prayer room. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dormitory</span> Residential student building

A dormitory is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university students. In some countries, it can also refer to a room containing several beds accommodating people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Chad's College, Durham</span> Constituent college of Durham University

St Chad's College is a recognised (independent) college of Durham University in England, founded in 1904 as an Anglican hall for the training of Church of England clergy. The main part of the college is located on the Bailey, occupying nine historic buildings at the east end of Durham Cathedral. It neighbours Hatfield College to its north, while St John's College and St Cuthbert's Society are to its south. The college is named after Saint Chad, a seventh-century Anglo-Saxon bishop known for spreading Christianity in the Mercian kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio Union</span> Student activity center at Ohio State University in Columbus, OH, US

The Ohio Union serves as a student activity center for students of The Ohio State University. When the Union was established in 1910, it was the first student union at a public university. The Ohio Union provides facilities for student activities, organizations/events, and campus and community interaction. Many student services and programs are housed in the union, along with dining and recreational facilities. On March 29, 2010, the current Ohio Union was opened to the public, replacing three previous unions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingsgate Bridge</span> Bridge in Co. Durham

Kingsgate Bridge is a striking, modern reinforced concrete construction footbridge across the River Wear, in Durham, England. It is a Grade I listed building. It was personally designed in 1963 by Ove Arup, the last structure he ever designed. Kingsgate Bridge connects Bow Lane on the historic peninsula in the centre of Durham to Dunelm House on New Elvet, and opened in 1966. Kingsgate Bridge is thought to have been one of Arup's favourite designs of all, he having spent many hours working on every detail of the plans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunelm House</span> Brutalist university building in Durham, England

Dunelm House is a Grade II listed university building in Durham, England, built in 1966 in the brutalist style. It belongs to Durham University and houses Durham Students' Union. Its listing entry cites, among other factors, that it is "a significant Brutalist building that reflects the latest in architectural thinking for its date" and that it is "the foremost students’ union building of the post-war era in England".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Student Union (Oklahoma State University)</span> Student union in Stillwater, Oklahoma

Billed as the largest student union in the world, 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.

In universities in the United Kingdom students' unions are constituted under Section 2 of the Education Act 1994. The ultimate purpose of students' unions is to democratically represent the interests of their members. Students who resign their membership may still use union social facilities provided since they are for the benefit of the students of the institution, not just union members. The vast majority of UK students' unions are affiliated with the National Union of Students (NUS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Martin</span> American academic administrator

Susan Work Martin is an American academic administrator who was most recently the interim president of San José State University. Previously, Martin served as president of Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan from 2008 to 2015. She was the first female president in the university’s 160-year history. She held a simultaneous appointment as Professor of Accounting in the College of Business during her tenure at Eastern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durham University</span> Collegiate public research university in Durham, United Kingdom

Durham University is a collegiate public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charter in 1837. It was the first recognised university to open in England for more than 600 years, after Oxford and Cambridge, and is thus, following standard historical practice, the third-oldest university in England. As a collegiate university, its main functions are divided between the academic departments of the university and its 17 colleges. In general, the departments perform research and provide teaching to students, while the colleges are responsible for their domestic arrangements and welfare.

Eastern Michigan University was founded in 1849 by the state of Michigan, and opened in 1853 as Michigan State Normal School. Michigan State Normal School was the first in Michigan and the first normal school created outside the original 13 colonies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Michigan University Student Center</span> Student union in Michigan, USA

The Eastern Michigan University Student Center is Eastern Michigan University's student union. Since its opening in 2006 the EMU Student Center replaced McKenny Union as the student hub of campus life. The building is simply referred to as "The Student Center" by students faculty and staff. In 2017 the Student Center was named the number one student union in the country by the College Rank. The building is located in University Park near the Rec/IM and Library. It is also the location of the EMU Bookstore, a 24/7 computer lab, two art galleries, various offices and Admissions. The Student Center also includes the Kiva Room.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olds-Robb Recreation-Intramural Complex</span>

The Olds-Robb Recreation-Intramural Complex is Eastern Michigan University's recreation center. The Olds-Robb Rec/IM encompasses several buildings on campus. The Olds-Robb Student Recreation/Intramural Complex, which opened in 1982, contains an indoor track, two weight rooms, and a whirlpool, as well as Jones Natatorium, Big Bob's Lake House and a picnic area between the Rec/IM building and Downing Hall. The Rec/IM is also attached to Bowen Field House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starkweather Hall</span> United States historic place

Starkweather Hall, also known as Starkweather Religious Center, is a religious and educational building located at 901 West Forest Avenue in Ypsilanti, Michigan, on the campus of Eastern Michigan University. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1972 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It is also part of the Eastern Michigan University Historic District and is the oldest building on EMU's campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Michigan University Historic District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

Eastern Michigan University Historic District is a historic district on the very south end of the Eastern Michigan University campus. Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan in Washtenaw County. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School. Several buildings since its founding have achieved historical significance and eventually establishing it on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The district was established in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sherzer Observatory</span> Astronomical observatory located on the campus of Eastern Michigan University, Michigan, US

Sherzer Observatory is an astronomical observatory located on the campus of Eastern Michigan University. The observatory was established in 1903 with the construction of the new Natural Science Building, in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Following a devastating fire in 1989 a new observatory opened in September 1991 with a 10-inch (250 mm) apochromatic refractor telescope and German equatorial mount centered under a 6-meter dome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Towers (Ohio State)</span> Student dormitories at Ohio State University in Columbus, OH, USA

Abraham Lincoln Tower & Justin S. Morrill Tower, also known as The Towers, Morrill Tower or Lincoln Tower are two undergraduate residential houses at The Ohio State University. The Towers are located on the west campus of the Ohio State University across from the Drake Union off the east banks of the Olentangy River. Morrill Tower is to the right of Ohio Stadium on Cannon Drive. The towers are in close proximity of OSU's RPAC and the Wexner Medical Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hale Hall</span> United States historic place

Hale Hall is a historic building of the Ohio State University main campus in Columbus, Ohio. It was built in 1909–1911 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The building was formerly the Ohio Union, and had numerous other names through its history. It was the fourth student union building built in the U.S., and the first at a state university in the country. It is only one of four buildings on campus on the National Register; the others are the Ohio Stadium and Hayes and Orton Halls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University Hall (Ohio State University)</span> Campus building of Ohio State University

University Hall is the main academic building at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The building houses classrooms for several of the university's colleges and includes a museum on the ground floor.

References

  1. Building America's First University: An Historical and Architectural Guide to the University of Pennsylvania George E. Thomas, David Bruce Brownlee, p3
  2. "The Ohio Union at Ohio State University". ohiounion.osu.edu. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  3. "What was the first student union" . Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  4. "OSU Student Union Building History". Union.okstate.edu. September 9, 1950. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
  5. ANSTHE Archived 2009-03-25 at the Wayback Machine , Oklahoma State University, retrieved April 23, 2006
  6. "Student Unions | Student Affairs".
  7. "Oakland Civic Center City Designated Historic District" (PDF). City of Pittsburgh Historic Review Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-08. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
  8. German, Pamela; Robinson, Veronica (Spring 2009), "Charles McKenny Union: An EMU Icon" (PDF), Ypsilanti Gleanings, Ypsilanti Historical Society, pp. 14–15, retrieved 2011-02-12
  9. $20 Million Makeover For Denver's Historic Tivoli's Student Union
  10. "Vermont Student union opens" . Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  11. Historic England. "Students Union (old part only) (Grade II) (1068368)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  12. Historic England. "Students' Union (Grade II) (1355263)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  13. Historic England. "Dunelm House including landing stage, steps and attached walls (Grade II) (1477064)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  14. Case Name: Dunelm House, Durham (PDF) (Report). Historic England. 6 December 2016. p. 10. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  15. "Association of College Unions International defines union" . Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  16. "New EMU Student Center celebrates grand opening". Focus EMU Online. Eastern Michigan University. 2006-11-07. Archived from the original on 2010-05-30. Retrieved 2011-06-14.
  17. "EMU student Center kiva room". Emich.edu. Archived from the original on 30 May 2010. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  18. "OSU Ohio Union interfaith prayer room" . Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  19. "UCF College optics". Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  20. "Inside the Student Life Centre (SLC)". Student Life Centre. 2012-06-04. Retrieved 2021-03-12.