College Center Construction Underway

“The previous facility was simply not adequate for the needs of today’s students,” said Brad Baca, vice president for finance and administration. “We feel that locating as many of our services for students as possible in the new facility will provide a focal point for students to gather and interact with each other.”

The new College Center’s impact on campus cannot be overstated. 

“Western students are long overdue for an attractive and vibrant gathering place integrating dining and student activity programs in an inviting facility," remarked President Jay Helman. "The College Center is the single greatest step we can take to enhance the Western experience and attract and retain the best students.”

A Home Away from Home

Our students, 94 percent of whom leave the familiar to travel 150 miles or more to attend Western from throughout Colorado and nearly every state in the nation, will have a beautiful home base. It will be a welcoming place for students to connect with each other; to engage in a myriad of clubs, campus organizations, and causes; to enjoy their meals, their friends, and their lives.

The Hub

The College Center will be the round-the-clock, energetic hub of activity at Western. Whether it’s Student Life, Wilderness Pursuits, Learning Assistance, Student Government, Club Sports, Multi-Cultural Center or other education-expanding ventures, they all will radiate out from the College Center. It will be the center of nearly every exciting thing happening outside the classroom at Western.

The Gateway for Community and College Collaboration

Western is a major force that is leading the Gunnison Valley into the future. The College Center will enable college and community to move forward together. The Ballroom will be the most elegant and functional meeting space in the lower Valley, suitable for everything from hosting dignitaries, formal lectures and elegant receptions to campus preview gatherings and the high school prom. The well-appointed, smart meeting rooms will host city leaders, local and regional nonprofits, student government and more. And the College Center will be the destination for students and local residents alike as the home of Gunnison’s only movie theater, an amenity that the college and community have been craving for years.

Powerful Attraction for Students

Western competes with colleges across the state and the nation for its students.  Attractive facilities play a significant role in attracting and retaining students. Western has an unmatched natural environment -- the best of the outdoors. Western will now have the perfect complement -- an innovative, energetic campus center -- the best of the indoors.

One Amenity Touching Every Member of the Western Family

The range of activities headquartered in the College Center will engage students of every interest. As students enjoy the outstanding meal plan and retail dining, an impressive menu of student services, and overwhelming opportunities for engagement and activity, they will be extending and enhancing their educations in powerful and transforming ways in community with each other, the faculty, staff and local residents.

The Investment

To create a facility this remarkable will require a total investment of $28 million broken down as follows: