modernizing infrastructure

Excellence Enhanced

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ith its blend of historic charm and modern amenities, Monmouth has long been recognized as one of the nation’s most beautiful campuses. Yet the University remains committed to enhancing its infrastructure to provide top-tier facilities for students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Several projects were completed during Academic Year 2022-2023 that are enabling the University to take fuller advantage of its existing infrastructure to best serve its constituents.

One Space, Stronger Support

In an effort to better serve Monmouth’s historically underrepresented campus community members, the University created a vibrant, new space for the Intercultural Center and Educational Opportunity Fund Program. The new suite, which is located within the Samuel Hays Magill Commons, includes areas for students to gather to study, relax, and work in groups as well as office space for staff and an outdoor patio with a firepit.

By housing these vital departments together, Monmouth has created a centralized hub for transition support, counseling, educational opportunities, and mentoring initiatives. This strategic move aligns with the University’s commitment to enhancing diversity and inclusion on campus, as outlined in its strategic plan, and signifies Monmouth’s dedication to creating a more welcoming and supportive campus environment for all community members.

two students sitting in a lounge at Monmouth University
Intercultural Center
Alumni House at Monmouth University
Alumni House

A New Home for Alumni House

Monmouth transformed a former private residence on the northwest side of campus into the new Alumni House, reconfiguring the building’s layout to create inviting gathering areas for alumni, a well-appointed conference room, and additional office space for staff. The new space enhances the University’s capacity to serve its alumni community and presents an aesthetically pleasing and functional space for alumni engagement and events.
Career Development Center at Monmouth University
Career Development Center

Empowering Futures

The University transformed existing space on the first floor of the Rebecca Stafford Student Center into an inviting and modern Career Development Center for students. The new center features a contemporary design with computer workstations, private interview rooms in which students can meet virtually and in person with recruiters, a glass-walled conference room equipped with integrated technologies, and office space for career mentoring.

With its prime location in the heart of campus, the new center is easily accessible to students and outside recruiters visiting campus. The move reinforces Monmouth’s commitment to fostering meaningful relationships for personal and professional growth, increasing job placements in prestigious companies, and supporting students’ career objectives.

The Great Hall Shines Anew

The enhancements to Monmouth’s campus are perhaps nowhere more evident than in the transformation of the University’s iconic centerpiece, the Great Hall. Last year, the building’s stone exterior, water theater, and colonnade were soft-washed and the Great Lawn fountain was refurbished. Monmouth also commissioned an external firm to assess and rejuvenate the surrounding greenery, with a focus on long-term landscape management. Outdated and overgrown plantings on the south side of the Great Hall were replaced with new ones, replicating the original 1930s design and restoring the building to its original grandeur.

These exterior enhancements followed a multiyear, student-centered makeover of the Great Hall’s interior. Comfortable seating options and study furniture was added throughout the main floor and mezzanine level, and dark curtains were replaced with light-filtering shades to make the space brighter and more welcoming. A room once used for staff meetings was transformed into Parson Cafe, a coffee bar that has become the new go-to spot on campus. Another room, which is used to welcome prospective students to campus, was renamed in honor of Julian Abele, the pioneering Black architect who led the building’s interior design in the 1920s. Together, these changes transformed a building that was once used primarily for administrative purposes into a vibrant and inviting hub in which students now gather to study and socialize.

Navigating Excellence

As last academic year drew to a close, the University began installing a comprehensive signage package across campus. This ongoing project has not only improved wayfinding for visitors but has also given the campus a more unified and professional appearance. These consistent and attractive signs enhance the overall aesthetic of Monmouth’s already beautiful campus, contributing to a sense of unity and excellence.
new sign on Monmouth University campus pointing towards Bey Hall
Campus Signage
inside the Great Hall at Monmouth University
Parson Cafe

The Great Hall Shines Anew

The enhancements to Monmouth’s campus are perhaps nowhere more evident than in the transformation of the University’s iconic centerpiece, the Great Hall. Last year, the building’s stone exterior, water theater, and colonnade were soft-washed and the Great Lawn fountain was refurbished. Monmouth also commissioned an external firm to assess and rejuvenate the surrounding greenery, with a focus on long-term landscape management. Outdated and overgrown plantings on the south side of the Great Hall were replaced with new ones, replicating the original 1930s design and restoring the building to its original grandeur.

These exterior enhancements followed a multiyear, student-centered makeover of the Great Hall’s interior. Comfortable seating options and study furniture was added throughout the main floor and mezzanine level, and dark curtains were replaced with light-filtering shades to make the space brighter and more welcoming. A room once used for staff meetings was transformed into Parson Cafe, a coffee bar that has become the new go-to spot on campus. Another room, which is used to welcome prospective students to campus, was renamed in honor of Julian Abele, the pioneering Black architect who led the building’s interior design in the 1920s. Together, these changes transformed a building that was once used primarily for administrative purposes into a vibrant and inviting hub in which students now gather to study and socialize.

inside the Great Hall at Monmouth University
Parson Cafe

Navigating Excellence

As last academic year drew to a close, the University began installing a comprehensive signage package across campus. This ongoing project has not only improved wayfinding for visitors but has also given the campus a more unified and professional appearance. These consistent and attractive signs enhance the overall aesthetic of Monmouth’s already beautiful campus, contributing to a sense of unity and excellence.
new sign on Monmouth University campus pointing towards Bey Hall
Campus Signage
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