Rebuilding the Campus

Rebuilding the Campus

 

New and improved facilities

Nowhere is the transformation of WKU more visible than in the improvements to the physical campus. Nearly $500 million in new construction, renovation, and infrastructure improvements has been completed during the last 15 years. New academic buildings for Journalism and Broadcasting, Engineering and Biology, Education and Behavioral Sciences, and the Music Rehearsal Hall have opened. The old Snell Hall has been replaced with a new Snell Hall. Many more buildings have been renovated, including the oldest building at WKU, Van Meter Hall, which is now a state-of-the-art performing arts center. Research labs, commercial space for high tech start-up companies, and a Clinical Education Complex to serve the region have also been built. New and renovated athletic facilities for softball, soccer, and baseball have been completed, along with major renovations of Diddle Arena and Houchens Industries - LT Smith Stadium. And the WKU presence has grown substantially in the region with new and improved facilities on the regional campuses in Barren, Daviess, and Hardin counties.

Student life improvements

Improving student life on campus has been a priority for campus construction as well. Every WKU residence hall has been renovated, and construction on new student housing is underway. The Downing University Center, the focal point for student activity and energy, is currently undergoing a complete renovation. The Preston Center has been expanded, new campus restaurants have opened, and millions have been invested in classroom improvements, sidewalk and street repairs, parking and campus lighting improvements, and campus wayfinding.

The WKU campus is now completely wireless, and students enjoy an array of outdoor seating options and more green space for events and activities. Students also now have a place on campus to worship, reflect, and celebrate life in the Chandler Memorial Chapel, and the Guthrie Bell Tower and Plaza is a space dedicated to honoring WKU alumni who have served honorably in our nation’s military, especially those who have sacrificed everything for freedom.

Modernization and beautification

Many more campus improvements are those unseen as work continues to replace aging steam lines and underground electrical lines. The addition of art and enhanced landscaping and careful attention given to the grounds by Facilities employees has brought the WKU campus to life, making it among the most beautiful college campuses in the nation.

Future plans

Much remains to be completed. First, the final renovation of the Thompson Complex Center Wing must be funded by the state. Then a new building is planned for the Gordon Ford College of Business, and a new home will soon be constructed for the WKU Honors College and International Center. The Augenstein Alumni Center will open in 2013, and a new building to house the WKU School of Nursing and Doctor of Physical Therapy program will open on the campus of The Medical Center at Bowling Green in 2013 as well.