Project
Student Services
About the Project
Improving the campus experience for students on the Baton Rouge campus is a critical priority of the campaign. Student Services buildings — Libraries, Student Unions, and Dining Halls — play an outsized role in student recruitment and retention, and Southern University’s existing facilities need upgrades to remain competitive with peer institutions.
Degree Programs
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The renovated Student Union will be the heartbeat of campus life — a gathering place for current students and a powerful recruitment tool for prospective ones. In the competitive environment for the best and brightest students, the quality of student amenities is critical in family decision-making. A modernized Union with expanded event capacity, enhanced dining, and dedicated student spaces will directly support academic success and community life at Southern University.
The renovated Student Union:
- Will renovate the existing Smith-Brown Memorial Student Union with a new 9,700 sf second-floor addition to serve both students and staff.
- Will be the home for the University Bookstore, retail and dining spaces, Student Services offices, and indoor and outdoor gathering spaces connecting to Lake Kernan.
- Will include expanded ballroom space (8,000 sf to 11,000 sf), new event and meeting spaces, added office suites with conference rooms, a relocated gameroom and computer lab, and new independent-entry spaces for the barbershop and esports room.
| Number of Stories | 2 |
| Building Height | 36’ |
| Existing Student Union Renovation | 61,000 sf |
| Existing Ballroom | 8,000 sf |
| Ballroom Expansion | 3,000 sf |
| Second Floor Addition | 9,700 sf |
| Entry Plaza Canopy | 14,000 sf |
| Cade Library Renovation | 136,600 sf |
| Mayberry Dining Hall Renovation | 28,600 sf |
Cost Estimate
| IMPROVEMENT | COST | SECURED | NEEDED | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Plaza Canopy | $1,000,000 | |||
| Building Addition Cost | $4,800,000 | |||
| Interior Renovation | $6,100,000 | |||
| Ballroom Extension | $1,000,000 | |||
| Cade Library Renovation | $8,000,000 | |||
| Mayberry Renovation | $5,700,000 | |||
| Student Success Center Renovation | $1,300,000 | $1,300,000 | ||
| Soft Cost | $2,540,000 | |||
| TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COSTS | $30,190,000 | $1,300,000 | $0 | |
| Endowment Programming | $5,200,000 | $87,343 | $5,112,657 | |
| TOTAL PROJECT COST | $35,390,000 | $1,387,343 | $34,002,657 |
“In attracting the best and brightest students to attend Southern University, the quality of campus life and student services is critical to the decisions that students and parents make. Southern University’s master plan for Baton Rouge addresses every aspect of student life, from apartment-style accommodations, dining facilities, library services, and a renovated Student Union building. These improvements will support academic achievement, attract students to attend Southern, and provide sources of income to the University.”
JOHN PIERRE
“Giving back to Southern provides a foundation for successful student programming and faculty research initiatives. The University’s top-tier nursing program is preparing me to reach my career goal to specialize in neonatal care. My university provides the education and experience that I need to achieve this goal and much more.”
LAURYN WATT
- Classification: Junior Major: Nursing
- Hometown: Houma, Louisiana
- SU Top JAG