Arcadia University Commons Is a Place To See and Be Seen
Arcadia University’s new Commons opened Monday, Jan. 23, as a 62,000-square-foot family room for a global university, complete with comfy spaces for students to hang out, a new version of the Chat snack bar, and an interactive high-definition video-teleconference space that will connect Arcadia students, faculty and staff all around the world.
“It is easy to think of Arcadia as this special campus, almost 100 acres dominated for more than a century by Grey Towers Castle and now, for the next century, having this great Commons at its heart. But we are more than buildings in a beautiful setting,” says Arcadia University President Carl (Tobey) Oxholm III.
“We have been cutting edge since we were founded in 1853 in western Pennsylvania. Today, we are a university of 7,500 students—4,000 men and women in Glenside, King of Prussia and Christiana, Del., and another 3,500 students studying around the world in 75 cities in 22 different countries on six different continents. We are a truly global university, preparing students for lives of satisfaction, success and service in the global economy.”
The new Commons is 62,000 square feet of new construction as well as Kuch Center renovations. Construction started in May 2010 and was completed in January 2012. The new Commons includes:
- Large or small convertible conference rooms for lectures, meetings, classes and get togethers.
- Student Art Galleries
- A large multipurpose room for dances, meetings, movies and more
- The Chat—a snack bar for convenient “grab and go” food and drinks
- A large game room with TVs, Xbox and PS2, championship pool tables, ping pong, poker, shuffle board, air hockey and more
- Two new workout spaces for health and fitness
- Additional locker rooms for intercollegiate athletics and recreation
- A new Athletics Hall of Fame room
- A fireplace lounge for Eagles games, or just chill-axing.
- Multiple student activity areas for office work and project collaborations
- Outdoor park and meeting areas, plazas and cafés
- Generous open space throughout the building for hanging out or study in one of the many lounge areas
- An outdoor balcony to view events on the new Haber Green
- In the new Kuch Office addition: 20 new convenient offices, a new classroom, bathrooms, all with direct access to the gym and Commons
- The Presidents and Provost’s Suite, located right in the middle of the action
Watch the ceremony at www.ustream.tv/
