For many current Morehead State University students, it appears the first official day of the Spring 2019 semester couldn’t come soon enough.
However, this had less to do with getting back to class after a much-deserved winter break and more to do with the newly renovated and fully operational Adron Doran University Center (ADUC).
MSU broke ground in August 2016 on a $49.5 million project to renovate and expand the facility, a plan that had been in the works for several years. The original building was 126,000 square-feet and this project added an additional 71,000 square-feet. Students were granted limited access to ADUC in early October and got a chance to glimpse some of the facility’s new features but would have to wait until the spring semester to experience the new and improved dining services.
Russell Mast, vice president for student affairs, said the response from students who have experienced the bigger and better ADUC has been overwhelmingly positive.
“It’s just buzzing with activity,” he said. “They really enjoy the numerous lounge spaces where they can socialize with friends, study, have a bite to eat or just relax with a cup of coffee.”
On all three floors of ADUC, students have various places to gather with friends and classmates that are complemented with modern decorative touches. The first floor includes tables perfect for group study projects while students can get away to have more quiet time at the “study pods” on the building’s third floor. ADUC also has new designated spaces to accommodate larger groups and gatherings, whether it is the 100-seat theatre on the first floor or a new ballroom capable of seating 600 on the third floor.
The new ADUC doesn’t just have spaces dedicated to current students. In addition to remaining the home of the EagleCard Office and the University Store, several other offices that provide student services have also moved into the building, including the Student Government Association, Campus Activities Board, Eagle Diversity Education Center, First Year Programs, International Student Services and Disability Services, among others.
The facility also has a few spaces dedicated to MSU alumni like the Aquila Club Alumni Lounge on the second floor and the Ron and Patty Griffith Alumni Library on ADUC’s top level. Many Eagle alumni have had spaces of ADUC dedicated due to their generous donations to the University, whether it’s the Morrow Family Fireplace, the Prefontaine Tower or the Caudill Family Heritage Room, just to name a few, with future named spaces to be dedicated when fundraising is complete.
In addition to the expansion and modernization of ADUC, one of the main improvements that students enjoy are the dining options. On the first floor, there is an expanded Starbucks that includes a new entrance on Second Street to be more accessible to the community. It’s one of the largest Starbucks locations on a college campus, according to Bill Redwine (79), assistant vice president for auxiliary services at MSU. The first floor is also home to a new original dining concept called the Prefontaine Pub, which features dark wood décor and multiple big-screen TVs, including a giant projection screen just outside of the pub. The Prefontaine Pub will also be home to an Aramark dining concept called Bento Sushi, which will prepare fresh sushi daily and offer cooked-to-order stir fry.
ADUC’s second floor is where you will find plenty of happy Eagle diners thanks to the return of popular chains like Chick-fil-A, along with new welcome additions like Aramark’s Italiano Pizza and Pasta and restaurant chains that include Moe’s Southwest Grill, Steak ‘n Shake and Which Wich Superior Sandwiches. Redwine said that every one of the dining options in ADUC has later operating hours during the week (open until 6 p.m., with Starbucks and the Prefontaine Pub opened for limited hours on weekends).
Redwine said the response to the dining options in ADUC has exceeded expectations, both in student transactions and the number of people from the community who are visiting the MSU facility. He believes ADUC is well on its way to becoming one of the high points of the authentic MSU experience.
“We lost that for two years where ADUC was closed during the renovation and construction. Now, we’ve got the kinds of meeting rooms and space and socialization space and food space that all of those programs can come back into the building,” he said. “It’s getting back to what it should be and that’s a student-focused student hub.”
For more information about the new facility, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/aduc.
Student journalists at MSU’s student-produced newspaper, The
