The Eastern Michigan University Student Center is

Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University (EMU, EMich, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern) is a public university, public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1849 as the Michigan State Normal School, it was the fourth normal ...

's student union. Since its opening in 2006 the EMU Student Center replaced

McKenny Union McKenny Hall, previously called McKenny Union and Charles McKenny Union, was the first student union on the campus of the Michigan State Normal College (now Eastern Michigan University) in Ypsilanti, Michigan. At various times the building has in ...

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.

History

Eastern Michigan University's first student union was

, first proposed by President Charles McKenny in 1924. McKenny Union opened in 1931, and was the first

student union A students' union or student union, 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, organizatio ...

on the campus of a teachers' college. In the early 2000s, EMU began to look at a possible expansion and renovation of McKenny Union. The university found that constructing a new student center and renovating McKenny would be cheaper. The firm of

Burt Hill Kosar Rittelmann Associates Burt is a given name and also a shortened form of other names, such as Burton and Herbert, or a place name. Burt may refer to: People *Burt Alvord (1866–after 1910), American Old West lawman and outlaw * Burt Aull (1871–1947), American footb ...

was hired to design the new building with Turner Construction as the builder, and in 2004, work began on the former site of Pine Grove Apartments and tennis courts. The building officially opened on November 17, 2006. Since its opening, the EMU Student Center uses the slogan "Centered on You!". Following its opening, the Student Center created "a new hub of activity on north side of campus". Once the Student Center opened, McKenny Union closed for renovations and reopened as

McKenny Hall McKenny Hall, previously called McKenny Union and Charles McKenny Union, was the first student union on the campus of the Michigan State Normal College (now Eastern Michigan University) in Ypsilanti, Michigan. At various times the building has in ...

. Despite criticism from some faculty members about the expense, the opening of the new student center was considered one of the high points of

John A. Fallon John A. Fallon III is a university administrator and former president of Eastern Michigan University. Dr. Fallon began his tenure at EMU on July 18, 2005, after serving as president of SUNY Potsdam and William Penn College. He had been appointed b ...

's troubled two-year tenure as president of EMU. A poll of campus community members found that the student center was considered one of EMU's top ten improvements between 2002 and 2012.

Facility

The building offers student services, a

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branch, dining facilities, meeting rooms, two art galleries, administrative offices, student organization offices, an auditorium, a 24-hour computer lab, a Kiva Room, bookstore and a gaming center. The cost of the Student Center is estimated around $40.5 million (USD). The building's architectural style is Post Modern. The building is approximately in size. The building is located in University Park near the Rec/IM and Library. During the buildings construction a lake was made adjacent to the Student Center. This completed the area known as "University Park". Outside the building to the south is a small reconstructed prairie and a bridge. The Student Center is home to offices such as Campus Life, VISION, a box office, Service EMU, and Admissions. The Student Center was the home of the first

LAN Gaming Center A LAN Gaming Center is a business where one can use a computer connected over a LAN to other computers, primarily for the purpose of playing multiplayer computer games. Use of these computers or game consoles costs a fee, usually per hour or ...

(''Savage Geckos''); purchased by the university in Spring 2008 and renamed ''E-Zone''. Current food vendors in the Student Center include sites run by EMU's Dining Services,

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and

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. Past vendors include

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and Subway. In recent years EMU has moved away from chain restaurants to sites run and owned by the university. The facility is also heavily used for local and state conferences. In addition, due to the building's design the facility has hosted several "green" environmental conferences in the facility. Beyond this due to the school's aviation program, the school has hosted several aviation conferences.

Kiva Room

The Student Center also includes the Kiva Room, a round, 360-degree room patterned after spaces used in Native American cultures, on the north end of the third floor. The Kiva Room is used as a meeting space, for collaboration, or for musical purposes.

References

{{Eastern Michigan University Buildings at Eastern Michigan University Student activity centers in the United States University and college buildings completed in 2006 Eastern Michigan University Modernist architecture in Michigan 2006 establishments in Michigan