The Graduate School recently celebrated the official opening of the Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown – a one-of-a-kind facility that encompasses academic, social, residential, and administrative functions to create an intellectually stimulating environment for students.

The opening of the center culminates several years of work and is the result of a partnership between the Graduate School and the Division of Student Affairs.

Four years ago when Karen DePauw, vice provost for graduate studies and dean of the Graduate School, came to Virginia Tech she had a vision. Her vision was reminiscent of the first generations of graduate centers--centers found on the campuses of some of the nation’s top universities including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford--that offer graduate student housing and foster a sense of community.

However, DePauw’s vision went beyond that. She saw a graduate center where all functions of graduate education -- academic, administrative, social, and residential -- could be housed under one roof and where graduate students, regardless of campus affiliation, could come to study, relax, intermingle, and live if they so chose.

Now that vision has become a reality and the graduate life center is abuzz with activity. The residence hall houses more than 100 graduate students, and students can often be found at all hours utilizing the study rooms, computer lab, and interacting with one another. Students also have the opportunity to attend weekly speakers’ and scholars’ series, educational seminars, and workshops, and participate in yoga and other fitness programs.

“The new graduate life center is a commitment to the importance of graduate education by the university," said DePauw. “Strengthening graduate education is an integral part of Virginia Tech’s strategic long term plan. The graduate life center will significantly enhance the quality of life and educational experience of graduate students. Here students are able to develop skills for academic and professional success, while maintaining a healthy work-life balance and fostering a sense of community.”

After a week-long series of events and open houses inaugurating the new center, Virginia Tech President Charles Steger presented DePauw and the Graduate School with a ceremonial key to mark the official grand opening. During the presentation, Steger spoke of the uniqueness and importance of the new facility.

"The new Graduate Life Center is an exciting and valuable addition for the university as a whole, and it provides an intellectually stimulating and rich learning environment that helps develop a thriving graduate student community."

The official opening of the graduate life center, comes a little over six weeks after the first students moved in. Construction crews worked long hours during the summer to have the building ready for students for the 2006/07 academic year.

“All of the resources offered by the graduate life center have made my transition into graduate school significantly smoother and not having to run all over campus has helped ease time constraints,” said Janiece Blackman, a first-year history graduate student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech and resident of the graduate life center. I’ve also found it beneficial to live amongst other graduate students. Not only have I met people from different programs, different parts of the United States, and even different countries; but living with other graduate students is most conducive to my study habits -- I don't have to worry about excessive noise.”

Heather Switzer, an off-campus resident and third year doctoral student in the School for Public and International Affairs (SPIA) in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Tech, commented: “The graduate life center has been a de facto home for many of us in the SPIA PhD program. As students, we use the reservable rooms for doctoral symposia featuring guest speakers, student research group meetings, student academic support workshops, and new student orientations. I also enjoy the reading room as a quiet and comfortable place to read or cat-nap during the day.

Facilities at Virginia Tech’s Graduate Life Center include:

Au Bon Pain ®, the Graduate Life Center's coffee shop

A two-section graduate student lounge

A high tech computer lab with 24/7 accessibility (wireless network is also available throughout the first floor of the center)

Study room with tables, chairs, copy machine, and courtesy phone for on-campus calls.

Reading room filled with comfortable lounge chairs, tables and chairs, two Internet computer terminals, and a variety of reading materials. University Libraries provides an on-site reference librarian for assistance, Monday through Friday from 1 to 3 p.m.

Career, health, and wellness room

Graduate Student Organization Offices for the following organizations:

Black Graduate Student Organization

BOV Graduate Representative

Graduate Student Assembly

Graduate Honor System

The auditorium, multipurpose room, and meeting rooms are reservable spaces and used for academic, intellectual, and social interactions and programming.

The Graduate School at Virginia Tech promotes graduate education as a critical component in the transmission of new knowledge, research, ideas, and scholarship. It is responsible for the development, administration, and evaluation of graduate education throughout the university, providing support to faculty, staff, and more than 6,000 graduate students. The Graduate School is committed to building a diverse graduate community and vibrant intellectual environment to help prepare graduates to lead. Virginia Tech, the most comprehensive university in Virginia, is dedicated to quality, innovation, and results to the commonwealth, the nation, and the world.

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