Oxford College opens new student center
New building enhances the student experience
New buildings are frequently referred to as game-changing, but there is none for which that is more true than the Oxford Student Center (OSC). The center, which opened to Oxford students in mid-January for spring semester 2020, is the first building in the history of the campus to be built specifically to support the life of students outside the classroom.
“Oxford's strength is the extraordinary overall educational experience that it provides our students. Our undergraduates benefit from an exceptional campus-life staff, and at last, students will enjoy a facility that matches the fine program the Oxford team has built. The Oxford Student Center will enhance the breadth and variety of events and leadership programs that our more than 900 involved, engaged, and creative students require.”
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For the past 50 years, Oxford’s Office of Campus Life operated in Candler Hall, built as a library in 1897 and decommissioned from its original purpose when a new library opened in 1970.
Despite the challenge of working in a space retrofitted for their mission, Oxford’s campus-life staff created a robust and impactful program of student involvement and leadership. With the OSC as its focal point, Oxford’s campus life is poised for expansion.
“Decades ago, work with students was limited mainly to ‘student activities’ and clubs, while now our efforts are co-curricular and holistic in their approach.”
— Joe Moon, dean for campus life
“We provide opportunities for leadership development, organizational involvement, volunteerism, health and wellness, career counseling, and spiritual and religious life. The OSC supports these, while providing space for students to explore and create new directions for campus life to grow.”
The OSC is located on the northwest side of the campus, on the site of and incorporating the former college dining hall, which was superseded by a new facility in 2017. The building’s design blends the 16,000 square feet of the dining-hall space with an additional 14,000 square feet constructed at the building’s entrance, located at the intersection of Wesley and Pierce streets.
Gathering Spaces
Visitors enter a soaring space called the Grand Hall, where their eyes are drawn upwards to the 44-foot, wood-clad cathedral ceiling and its wood trusses. Large windows provide maximum natural light and an atmosphere of airy spaciousness. A large fireplace and hearth are built into the south wall, with comfortable seating that invites conversation and group interaction.
Doors in the Grand Hall open to the center of the building and the Greer Forum, named in honor of Judy Greer, professor emerita of physical education and dance. Greer, who first came to Oxford in 1957, retired several years ago, but remains engaged in the life of the college. The Greer Forum features a wide entrance, designed to serve a dual purpose as an event stage. Throughout the space is comfortable seating that can easily be rearranged to meet whatever need students or other groups have.
Adjacent to the Greer Forum is the Mural Room, so named for the large art installation that adorns the entire west wall of the room.
Titled “Expansion,” the mural is a creation by Peter Ferrari 03C, a well-known, self-taught Atlanta artist. Ferrari is known for his large-scale murals and his award-winning public art event, Forward Warrior, as well as for Facet Gallery, which he co-founded.
Watch a time-lapse video of the installation of the Peter Ferrari mural, "Expansion."
“It is meant to reflect an explosion, or growth and expansion into new territory, new knowledge, or new pathways. The abstracted form of the Oxford campus is also placed into the piece as a reminder of the place. The aesthetic is meant to be lively, colorful, contemporary, and energetic.”
— Peter Ferrari, artist and creator of the student center's mural
When the glass garage doors separating the Greer Forum and the Mural Room are raised, it creates an area with a standing-reception capacity of almost 400—Oxford’s largest event space. Also available is a lounge area on the building’s west side, with access to the patio overlooking woods and the Hearn Nature Trail.
Special-use spaces, high technology, and retail
For students who love to play video games or want space for traditional games, there is the Hot Spot. Equipped with multiple screens, furniture specially designed for gaming, and top video game consoles at each station, this space is already one of the liveliest on campus.
The Club Hub is named for Abinta Kabir 17Ox, who died in 2016 during a terrorist attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The room honors her memory and her legacy as an Oxford student leader. Its design gives student organizations a place for collaboration, planning, and storage. Large tables and work room create a “makerspace” for special projects and innovation in club programming.
The OSC brings together convenient retail for the college community, arranged near the Greer Forum and designed with a Main-Street, storefront feel. The Gilbert Bookstore, operated by Barnes & Noble, offers textbooks, popular publications, Oxford/Emory branded gear, and convenience items. The Jackson Family Kitchen, managed by Bon Appétit, provides café food items and coffee for extended hours.
Technology in the OSC is top-tier and available throughout the building. The design of each space is deliberately adaptable for a variety of uses. The Greer Forum features multiple screens, stages, and opportunities for new types of events at Oxford. Digital signage throughout the building informs visitors of campus events, features vibrant photography, and adds to the modern feel of the space. The state-of-the-art audio system can serve the entire building or discrete spaces, and it can accommodate events ranging from lectures to live musical performances.
Oxford students immediately embraced the OSC upon their return to campus for spring semester.
“It has already become a living room for students. I am excited that they are making use of this space in ways we anticipated, but I am even more excited about the ways they will interpret the building and teach us how it can be used. The OSC is a positive change for our campus. Oxford has waited a long time for this student center, and it has been worth the wait.”
The Oxford Student Center was designed by Atlanta architectural firm Stevens and Wilkinson and constructed by Reeves and Young. An opening celebration was held on February 2. Attended by students, staff, faculty, alumni, and the local community, the event featured student performances, activity stations illustrating the building’s many functions, and a Coke Toast led by Dean Doug Hicks.
Oxford College of Emory University | Feb. 3, 2020
To learn more:
Explore more about Oxford's commitment to enhancing the student experience.
Watch and see how the new OSC became a reality.
Students, staff, faculty, alumni, and the local community join in a Coke Toast led by Dean Doug Hicks.
Students, staff, faculty, alumni, and the local community join in a Coke Toast led by Dean Doug Hicks.
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