by Claire McCullough
The highly-awaited McPherson College Campus Commons is set to open in the fall of 2025. McPherson College students are excited to use the new space, and staff members are finally seeing their vision for the college unfold. In an exclusive interview, Michael Schneider, the president of the college, reflected back on the origins of the building. Twenty years ago, the college started buying properties along Kansas Avenue. Then, five years after that, the administration made the decision to build a new rec center, and began fundraising for the project. In order to create an ideal environment for students, the college created focus groups to better understand what students needed or what they thought would improve the campus. Students heavily emphasized the benefit of what President Schneider calls a “one-stop shop:” a place students could access registration, student affairs and other student-support services, but also a place where students could eat, hang out or study. This goal will be achieved in the new Campus Commons.
The design of the building is meant to reflect the Kansas Prairie. Marty Sigwing, the Executive Director of Operations and Facilities, said the building is what architects call “a Prairie Design [with] flat roofs with overhangs.” The landscaping will include wild grasses that are native to Kansas and, similar to the Kansas plains, will not be “heavily populated with trees.” Sigwing also explains that the colors inside the building compliment wheat and corn; two crops that are a staple of agriculture in Kansas.
The biggest goal of the new Campus Commons is to be, as President Schneider says, “100% dedicated to students and student organizations.” Marty Sigwing reported that the first floor will house dining, the bookstore and the mailroom. The dining space will be larger than the current cafeteria in the Student Union. This will address college’s need for a larger dining space because, according to President Schneider, “[the current student union] has been undersized for a long time. It’s crowded, it’s not the most comfortable to eat, it’s not the best place to serve food for the size of campus, and so that’s been the major priority in this move.” The first floor will also have a coffee bar ran by Sodexo which will partner with a separate coffee brand to provide an alternative to the coffee served in the cafeteria.
On the second floor, students will find services that will help them succeed in college. Offices for Student Affairs and a “student collaboration area” will be housed on the west side of the second floor. On the east side, enrollment, financial aid, the registrar and the business office will be located. Many of the offices that will be moved to the new building are currently located in the library and the first floor of Mohler Hall. President Schneider stated that those spaces would be turned into academic spaces once the move was complete. The future direction of the Student Union is unknown, however, President Schneider shared that there is a high likelihood that the building will be repurposed for academic use.
On the third floor of the Campus Commons, students will find a new office called the Dalke Center which will specialize in career services. This office will also house the Debt Project. President Schneider described the Dalke Center as a place “for current experiential learning” and as “a space where we can have employers and graduate schools on campus to interview students for jobs.” President Schnieder’s office and the Dean’s Suite will be sharing the floor with the Dalke Center.
Perhaps the most visually exciting part of the commons will be the two car chassis which will hang from the ceiling, reflecting the preeminent automotive restoration program at McPherson College. According to President Schneider, part of the building’s purpose will be to welcome new and potential students to the campus. And, in a way, the building is also a welcome to a new time in McPherson College history. The campus has been growing at a rapid race, not just in the number of students, but in the number of buildings as well. President Schneider said that once the Campus Commons is complete, the campus will have 25% more space and 40% percent of the campus will be new or remodeled. The new building emphasizes the fact that the college is heading into a bold, fun, student-focused future.
