For most returning Rogers State University students, the views on campus will be strikingly different from when they left in the spring.
The most notable addition to RSU’s Claremore campus is the progress of construction of the new library building, which should be completed in mid- to late December. The three-story building will house classrooms and offices on the first floor with the RSU library occupying the second and third floors.
Funding for the library construction was provided through a 1999 legislative appropriation.
When completed, the library will become a visual centerpiece to the campus, as well as a social and educational meeting place for students. The new facility will feature reading rooms on the second and third floors, expanded student seating and study areas, a classroom, campus and community meeting rooms, and consolidated offices for library staff. Another planned feature is a coffee bar adjacent to the reading room on the library’s main floor. This feature is intended to make the facility more user-friendly and encourage students and other patrons to fully explore the library resources.
“This has been a summer of exciting changes to the RSU campus in Claremore as we update our facilities to better serve the needs of our growing student population,” said RSU President Dr. Joe Wiley.
In addition to the new library, a new student parking lot was constructed in July between the Student Union and Baird Hall. The additional parking will accommodate the increasing enrollment on the Claremore campus. Additional parking lots are planned west of the rifle range and south of the new library.
Renovations to Bushyhead Fieldhouse are also taking place in order to improve student exercise facilities, provide facilities for intramural and club athletics, and to offer a student health center. Planned to be open later this school year, the student health center will provide students with consultation, assessment, and treatment relating to minor injuries, personal counseling, and general wellness. The center also will coordinate general health education among RSU students and promote healthy lifestyles.
Initial work is also beginning on renovations of Ledbetter Hall as housing units to meet the needs of RSU students, their spouses and their children. Eighteen units will be renovated in the facility, which is adjacent to the west side of Herrington Hall. Ledbetter Hall formerly served as a residence hall for single students prior to the completion of the RSU Student Apartments in 2001. The renovation is expected to be completed in time for spring occupancy.
Cleaning and renovations are being done to the exterior of Meyer Hall to preserve the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Meyer Hall renovations are being funded through a grant.
Fall classes at RSU start on Aug. 15. Extended enrollment is available until Aug. 21. For more information, call (918) 343-7546 or 1-800-256-7511.