In the higher education environment today, the competition for students is high and student retention is an important metric of institutional success. Students have specific expectations of a residential college, and Mount Holyoke is committed to providing an experience that meets—or exceeds—those expectations. Peer institutions have already moved in the direction of creating vibrant showcases for programs and services that serve current populations and appeal to parents and prospective students. The clearest message of the Facilities Master Plan study is that Mount Holyoke needs a hub, a place where the pulse of the campus is felt, and where the needs of the community are met at the highest level.
For more than 175 years, Mount Holyoke has thrived because it is unafraid to adapt to the changing world, while staying true to core beliefs. This approach to remaining a leader in women’s education is the catalyst for a plan to re-envision what community looks like at Mount Holyoke—today, and in the future.
Because Blanchard Campus Center is at the heart of campus—linking upper and lower campus, connecting greens and lakes—it is the right place to house programming that will draw the community together in new ways. The community center project is much more than an investment in bricks and mortar. It is a strategic approach to creating spaces that enhance residential and social life; to respond to the evolving needs of students, faculty, and staff; and to provide maximum flexibility to meet the expectations of the Mount Holyoke community.
The community center and dining hall will draw all members of the Mount Holyoke community to the heart of campus multiple times throughout the day, fostering connections that meet key needs identified by College trustees and leadership, students, staff, and faculty:
Space that evolves to meet student needs, now and in the future. Blanchard Campus Center has served as a gathering space for the community since the 1950s. In 2003, Blanchard Cafe opened in response to demand for more dining options on campus. Today, more than 13,000 square feet of Blanchard is devoted to dining, creating, by default, a community dining space, but limiting space for social and cocurricular programming. Moving food preparation and service from Blanchard and centralizing it in a state-of-the-art dining hall allows for both a transformation of existing space, and an opportunity to implement a fiscally sound investment in community and sustainability of Mount Holyoke’s dining options.
Space enlivened by programs, events, and spontaneous gatherings. The mid-level of Blanchard currently houses the student store, coffee kiosk, student mailboxes and conference rooms. After business hours, these spaces are empty and dark. By housing student services, a unity space for diverse groups to use for programming, charging stations for electronics, and comfortable chairs for lounging on this level, a visitor entering from Skinner Green will experience a hub that is active from morning through late evening.
Enhanced space for fostering and supporting student leadership. Established Mount Holyoke student organizations such as WMHC radio and Mount Holyoke News are currently housed on the upper level of Blanchard, making it the hub for student-led activities. With professional support available in the student services offices on the middle level, students will no longer have to trek to multiple locations across campus to realize an idea or propose an initiative.
Create more opportunities for fun. With the Great Room in Blanchard reclaimed from current use as a cafeteria, students will be drawn to large scale events. Big-ticket events and impromptu social gatherings such as open mics, movie nights, or dance parties held in a central location will make it easier for students to spontaneously opt in and take a stress-relieving break from homework and academics. A coffee shop/pub will pull students and faculty to a common social center.
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