Our Student Center Vision
Agricultural Hall has been the heart of the CALS campus for over 100 years and we have a vision to ensure it continues to be a touchstone for our community for the next 100 years. CALS is excited to announce the launch of our new Student Center, a new home for our CALS students.
This renovation will transform the historic Agriculture Library into a modern gathering space for our community.
The Student Center is designed for our students to grow their future with:
- Flexible spaces for solo study spots or group projects
- Meeting spaces for one of more than 30 CALS sponsored student organizations
- Classrooms with cutting edge technology
- Outdoor spaces for connections with people and nature
Quick Facts
$20M
Goal for renovations
14,000+
Square feet of student classroom, support and event space
1903
Year Ag Hall Opened
The History of the Student Center
The octagonal space on the lower level of Ag Hall has housed many tenants over the years. The university’s Agricultural Library moved here from its original South Hall location in 1903, the year Agricultural Hall was first constructed. So the first occupants of this area were primarily students looking for reference materials and a quiet spot to study. In 1969, the collection of volumes and study space transitioned to Steenbock Memorial Library a few blocks away.
Later, this space (as well as its east and west wings) housed studios, classrooms, and offices for the Department of Landscape Architecture. In 2017, that department merged with the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and eventually moved across campus, opening the way for something new.
The CALS Student Center in this space today is a step toward a more permanent fixture. For now, it’s a place meant for students to plug in, power up, study, and chill in between classes. It will continue to serve students in this way into the future, but CALS has even bigger plans for a greater gathering place — a hub, a headquarters, a home — for the whole CALS community.
Help transform this historic Agriculture Library into a modern gathering space for our community
Contact Scott Fletcher at scottfletcher@supportuw.org or 608-308-5190 to learn more about becoming one of our groundbreaking donors or set up a tour of the space to learn more about the project.