Student Center Renovation
An $11 million renovation of the current student center will revitalize the building sitting at the heart of our campus, transforming it into a place where students can better learn, collaborate, engage and volunteer.
A New Student Center
At its core, McDaniel is a community of learners. Together, we grow through personal connections, creative expression, and opportunities for global engagement.
At the heart of our community and our campus is Decker Student Center. Built in 1978, the center has fallen short of meeting the evolving needs of today's students.
Our student center has tremendous potential to better serve as the confluence of student life and learning—for social events, club and organizational meetings, Greek life, student group projects, and recreation. Activities like these reinforce classroom learning, but also foster experiences and relationships that are vital for developing engaged, inspired leaders. These are the experiences that help define our McDaniel community.
In May 2019, President Roger N. Casey joined by Board Chair Martin K.P. Hill and Mary Lynn Durham '70, a member of the Board of Trustees, with her husband, Bill Roj '70, unveiled plans for the renovation of the Decker College Center.
The $11 million renovation will modernize the student center located in the middle of campus. With the exception of the 2011 renovation of Englar Dining Hall, this is the first overall renovation of the structure since it was built in 1978. Plans include an updated McDaniel Pub and the addition of brand-new student spaces, as well as offices for the Center for Experience and Opportunity, Student Engagement and Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Funding for the project has been supported by a $5 million leadership gift from Mary Lynn Durham '70 and Bill Roj '70.
"Throughout our long association with McDaniel, the College has focused on the education of each of its students as a whole person. We are so pleased that the redesign of the student center has been developed to further enhance the all-in transformative education McDaniel students continue to experience," Durham told The Hill magazine.
An additional $2 million was donated by several current trustees, including Dr. Chitrachedu Naganna and his wife, Vimala, of Westminster, Md.; Board Chair Martin K.P. Hill of Manchester, Md.; Robert “Robin” Salomon, III, and his wife, Sarah, of Bethesda, Md.; Carroll Yingling '68 and his wife, Susan Morales Yingling '70, M.S. '00, of Westminster, Md.; and William Westervelt '71 and his wife, Laura, of Arnold, Md. Efforts are underway to raise the remaining $4 million.
The project is currently underway, with a targeted completion date in time for the 2020-2021 academic year.
