Oklahoma State University

About the University

OSU is completing work on a state-of-the-art Central Plant to replace its inefficient 1940s Power Plant. The facility will reduce OSU’s environmental footprint, save energy costs and feature an 80-person classroom. Work has started on a new engineering lab west of the architecture building that will provide the latest in facilities and address incredible student growth. Prior to the launch of Master Plan 2025, construction and renovation brought a number of enhancements to the campus. In 1995, Willard Hall was completely renovated and became home to the College of Education, Health and Aviation. Willard was a 1939 vintage women's dormitory. For its efforts in the Willard project, OSU received an architectural award for the historic preservation of the building. The Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center, dedicated in 1996, supports the essential mission of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources by allowing faculty and students the opportunity to investigate the ways and means of adding value to Oklahoma's raw foodstuffs. The College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology opened its $31 million Advanced Technology Research Center in 1997. This multidisciplinary building enhances the University's role as a front-runner in basic engineering and related research in a variety of fields that are relevant to Oklahoma, the United States and the world. A renovation of the Classroom building was completed in 1998.This building is the principal undergraduate classroom facility for the University. The Classroom building remodeling effort gives students an updated facility with state-of-the-art teaching systems. The first of four phases of apartments and suite-style accommodations for new student housing was completed in 2000.Phase II, completed in the fall of 2001, included family housing, apartments and suites. Phase III student housing opened in fall 2003, and the fourth phase of on-campus student housing was completed and opened in 2006. OSU has expanded campus bus service for both the Stillwater community and the OSU-Stillwater campus to aid students, faculty and staff in their educationally related transportation. Additionally to reduce energy costs and emissions, OSU converted its entire fleet of campus buses to compressed natural gas in 2010. In 2001, OSU constructed the new Athletic Center. The Athletic Center was built on the site of Gallagher-Iba Arena. The top of the original building was removed, and the Athletic Center was built completely over and around Gallagher-Iba Arena resulting in the expansion of its seating to approximately 13,000 for athletic, academic and entertainment activities. Historic Gallagher-Iba now continues to exist as the arena within the Athletic Center. In 2004, a state-of-the-art academic center also was built within the building. OSU’s basketball locker rooms within the Athletic Center were upgraded in 2010 for both men and women. Fall 2004 saw the reopening of the Colvin Recreation Center after a major renovation and expansion. The facility was originally constructed in the late 1960’s and was in need of modernization and more space. The project included a new outdoor pool, climbing wall, expanded workout and locker space, and indoor jogging track. Improvements continue in the University's outdoor spaces as well, and a landscape architectural master plan developed in 2010 is guiding those efforts. Major east-west streets, Hall of Fame Avenue and University Avenue have been greatly updated, and the university has completed a complete redesign and reconstruction of Monroe Street, which runs north-south through the heart of the campus. A series of landscape

projects near student residential facilities have occurred in recent years. In the summer of 2005, the Edmon Low Library plaza was restored by installing a new surface on the main upper plaza and the lower area. Completed in 2013, Legacy Walk provides a scenic east-west pedestrian thoroughfare in front of the library, connecting to Hester and Monroe streets. In the fall of 2016, OSU unveiled an impressive Welcome Plaza outside the southeast corner of the Student Union. The plaza is an inviting garden area featuring statues of a galloping mare and her foal. OSU is a leader in network computing resources. The University has applied the student technology fee in concert with other University resources to create a second-to-none networking system on campus that includes new computer laboratories, high speed inter-laboratory connectivity, and a virtually seamless interface to the Internet across campus. Lake Carl Blackwell, located eight miles west of Stillwater, as well as land surrounding the lake, are owned by OSU. The area includes approximately 3,350 acres, bordering the 3,000-acre lake that provides the water supply for OSU. It is also used for research activities, in addition to being a popular regional recreational area. Additional properties include 1,900 acres of farm land and facilities in Payne County, as well as 2,900 acres and various structures devoted to research stations around the state.