The MHU Campus Center

THE MARS HILL UNIVERSITY CAMPUS CENTER

The Embodiment of MHU’s Ideals

Connection and relationship have long been qualities that have defined the culture of Mars Hill University. The creation of a new, centrally-located campus center aims, not just to provide space for all the student-centric organizations which are now far flung across campus, but to literally embody that ethos, giving it space to thrive and flourish. The as-yet-unnamed campus center is the single funding focus of the Together We Rise Capital campaign, which has been in the quiet phase of fundraising since January 2021. As of this printing, Mars Hill has raised over 75% of the $20 million campaign goal to renovate and expand Blackwell Hall into a new and vibrant hub of campus activity that will literally and figuratively bring the campus community together.

A TRANSFORMATIONAL CAMPUS HUB

“I have from the beginning looked at this as more than just a building. It is a significant way in which the ethos of this institution, meaning the high-quality relationship-building and personal education that characterize Mars Hill, can be further fostered,” said Bud Christman, Vice President for Advancement. “This project is part of our ongoing goal of elevating the student experience at Mars Hill,” he said. Christman and his team in the Office of Advancement, together with President Tony Floyd and the Together We Rise Campaign Steering Committee, have been leading the charge to get alumni and friends of the university excited about being part of this new step in Mars Hill’s future. “This will be the kind of transformational center that will impact not just one area of the university, but everybody on campus,” Christman said. “Furthermore, this is a future-oriented facility that will mark the next era of

I am so excited for how this student center will benefit the Bonner program! This new student center will allow Bonner Scholars, through the Center for Community Engagement, a new and bigger space to be able to continue to reach out to the community and accommodate their needs. And being so close to other student-focused departments will allow Bonner Scholars to be better supported by the leaders of MHU. Lauren Sermersheim, Religion & Philosophy major, Bonner Scholar and class of 2024

Present and future students want to be in a place that values them for the unique individuals they are. It is the mission of the MHU Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to create opportunities for our students to learn from DEI-centered experiences. By locating the CDEI in the new campus center, MHU will be spotlighting its commitment to empowering our students with the skills needed to create and maintain a DEIaware campus community.

Jonathan McCoy, Director of the Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

service for Mars Hill to students, to the community at large, and to our incredible alumni.” Sitting on the high ground of the Lunsford Commons, the campus center will change the face of the university’s upper quad, its entrance, and in fact, the campus as a whole. The renovation will more than double the square footage of what is now Blackwell Hall. The three-story building will include multiple student-centric offices, including the Cothran Center for Career Readiness; campus ministry; diversity, equity, and inclusion; student leadership; financial services; admissions; community engagement; student life; a state-of-the art fitness center; and administrative offices for the president, provost and chief financial officer. And—just as importantly—there will be plenty of room for students, faculty, and staff to “hang out” together. Gaming areas, dining, and comfortable seating areas, including a fireplace lounge, will be an integral part of the building. Attractive spaces surrounding the building will include an amphitheatre constructed into the southern slope toward the lower quad, a terrace featuring a spectacular view of Bailey Mountain, and a pavilion nestled into the heart of Lunsford Commons. who want the support of the Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion must go to Renfro Library. Activities associated with campus ministry are centered in Broyhill Chapel and Bentley Fellowship Hall, Bonner Scholars’ central location is in Wall Science Building, and students who want the services of the Cothran Center for Career Readiness must go to Day Hall. “This beautiful building will be the first thing that prospective students and their families see when they approach the campus. Furthermore, its position on higher ground on the campus makes the gorgeous mountain surroundings more visible,” Christman said.

AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME

“It will be a vibrant and exciting place to be,” Christman said. “The difference this campus center will make on campus cannot be overstated. At present, most of the services to be provided in the campus center are so dispersed, they require a map to find, severely inhibiting the community nature for which Mars Hill has been so revered.” Right now, students who are active in the Student Government Association, for example, have office space in Wren Student Union, while students

According to Christman, the campus center is a project whose time has come. Early building ideas explored creating a new facility or renovating McConnell Hall or the current Wren Student Center. Although the renovation of Wren was included in the recent Building Our University comprehensive campaign, the project failed to garner widespread excitement and proved to be cost prohibitive. Conversations about a campus center took a back seat, until President Tony Floyd came to the helm of the university in 2018. “At that time, there was a lot of conversation from various constituent groups that there was an obvious void in our institutional wellbeing. A campus center fills that void by encouraging the things that MHU is all about: community, engagement, support for students, and a unification of town and gown,” Christman said. Credo, a higher education consulting group came in to lead discussions and conduct feasibility studies. We are looking forward to being in a more visible location, where students, faculty, and staff can easily stop in to chat, and the proximity to other offices will allow for even stronger partnerships and collaborations. Some of the best ideas we have explored and put into practice began as off-the-cuff hallway conversations, and we’re excited about the increased contact with our students and our colleagues. Chaplain Stephanie McLeskey

Examination of the space on campus and a foot traffic study made it obvious to the group that the campus center should be on the upper quad. Then in late fall of 2019, the Mars Hill University Board of Trustees approved the renovation of Blackwell Hall, based on Credo recommendations.

Wayne Higgins, trustee and the chair of the Together We Rise Campaign Steering Committee, said the idea of a new campus center has been a topic of discussion for university leaders for several years. “I am excited about the opportunity to be involved in this project. The thing I tell others on the steering committee is that this project is all about the students; it is about enhancing their Mars Hill experience and giving them a place of belonging.” Higgins said he believes the campus center will not only help students to connect to each other and to faculty and staff, but in the end, it will also draw in the surrounding community and create excitement about the university. “I truly do believe that this is a historic time for Mars Hill,” Higgins said. The positive growth that will come from the

campus center, he said, is part of a continuing movement that began with the construction of Ferguson Health Science Center, Day Hall, and new residence halls in recent years, as well as renovations of numerous spaces on campus. “We’re going to look back 30, 40, 50 years down the road and realize what a dramatic impact these projects have had on enrollment, retention, and the overall student experience at Mars Hill,” he said.

Since being here on campus, I’ve heard students voice the concern that the current fitness center doesn’t really meet their needs. For that reason, many students go to other facilities off campus. I’m looking forward to a new fitness center that will hopefully inspire more students to stay physically active and healthy. Overall, I think the new student center is going to be terrific for all students. I hope that it will help us enjoy our college experience. There will be lots of places to kick back and enjoy ourselves and have fun. I’m looking forward to it. William Brawley, Nursing major, Bonner Scholar, and class of 2022

You can be part of this exciting time at Mars Hill University! Simply return the remittance envelope in this magazine with your gift, marked “Together We Rise,” or go to mhu.edu/together to give online.