Shriver Center

Student Shriver Center The Shriver Center, located at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, USA, was first opened as the University Center in 1958. Later it was renamed as the Phillip R. Shriver Center, and provided space for not just the student body at the University, but also for faculty, staff and the greater Oxford community.

Today the student body is triple the size it was 50 years ago when the University Center first opened. Although the building is still a cornerstone of the Miami University Campus, due to high demand from the community and severe limitations on space, there is little room left for students. Therefore a new student union building, the Bicentennial Student Center was built, located diagonally across from the Shriver Center, in the heart of Miami University’s campus.^[1]

Intro

Although Miami University was first established in Oxford, Ohio in 1809, there was no student center on the campus designated specifically for students until after World War II. Beginning in 1940 students began to lobby for a permanent student union center.^[2] After World War II, with enrollment at an all-time high of 4,500, students began to demand a center for their own recreational use. During the late 40s and early 50s students relaxed in informal space reserved just for them, known as the Redskin Reservation, which was nothing more than a dining hall on campus.^[3]

History

The University announced plans to build a student center in 1954.^[4] In honor of the opening of the new student center it was decided to hold an opening ceremony. According to an article printed in the October 1st, 1957 addition of the journal Miami Student the ceremony drew approximately 2,000 participants, a number which shocked nearly all who attended. The unprecedented attendance served to underscore the importance the new center had to the entire university community.^[5] University President John D. Millett explained during the dedication ceremony why the center was given its name. He declared: “This building is for the use of all members of the Miami family. We acknowledge and welcome the use of the building by them.”^[6] The University Center was the basis for what later became the Shriver Center. The recreational facility included a bowling alley and a new dining hall with a large and varied menu. The students were quite satisfied with the new center. Six years later, in 1963, an east wing was built. In addition to the east wing more stores were added, such as a book and clothing store with Miami University swag. Another major change came to the University Center in 1981. President Phillip R. Shriver was retiring as the Miami University president. In his honor it was decided to name the Student Center after him. President Shriver was not informed about this decision until it was publicly announced during the ceremony to mark his retirement from his position. President Shriver was both shocked, pleased and honored.^[7] In 1985 the Shriver Center Committee announced that an addition to the building was being planned. The goal of the expansion was to make the building less crowded and to modernize the building's architecture.^[8] The building expansion was not completed until 1991. The long delay caused much inconvenience for students, faculty and staff. Upon the completion of the upgrade the building won several awards for its architectural style, especially the building's use of brick. The building we have today, aside from some minor interior enhancements, is essentially the same building that was updated in 1991.^[9]

Armstrong Center

In 2008 the University announced that it was going to open a new student center to take the place of the Shriver Center: The Bicentennial Student Center. The building is located on Spring Street, diagonally across from the Shriver Center. According to its website, “the building concept connects the past and the future, renovating Culler, Gaskill and Rowan Halls and joining them, as functioning parts… with a new structure constructed in the expansive space between the existing buildings.”^[10]

On June 30, 2010, the University announced that the Bicentennial Center will be renamed as the Armstrong Student Center. Mike and Anne Armstrong, Miami University graduates in 1961, donated $15 million to the new student center to help support the project which was in need of additional funding.^[11]

The old student center simply could no longer meet the needs of a student body that had grown to 16,000 students. The vision for the new center was as dedicated space servicing students and no other group. The Armstrong Student Center opened its doors in January, 2014. It cost $46 million to build, offers 203,000 square feet of space on three floors in which meeting rooms, meditation centers, offices, and meals are available for student use. The Armstrong Center is open 24 hours each day and seven days a week. Two-thirds of the budget for the new student center came from 11,000 donors. The remaining one-third of the budget came from a fee of $115 students paid each semester during the period of construction.^[12]

There are two main entrances into the building and the entryway and walkway are naturally lit by a skylight. The building includes a theater, a pavilion to hold events, a common room in which students can sit down and either socialize or do work, a Center for Student Engagement and Leadership where student-led groups can hold meetings and, several large lobbies and conference rooms where students can gather for extra study space when there is high demand.^[13]

References