Dear AU community,

As part of our welcoming you back from the winter break, we are pleased to share progress updates about the exciting work being done on campus to renovate our dining facilities as well as our larger initiative to create spaces that support student thriving.

Terrace Dining Room 

Over the winter break, we began phase one of demolition work in the Terrace Dining Room (TDR) to make way for its first total renovation in almost 40 years.

During this phase of work, which will continue until early April, new kitchen spaces will be constructed in the walled-off area of TDR. In the interim, we will have about 100 less seats in TDR and some of our stations will move to temporary locations. You can see the updated station plan here. To ensure we meet our community needs, we will host pop-up events during phase one, which will be posted on the Dine On Campus website. Meal plan holders will receive additional dining dollars in their accounts to provide greater retail venue flexibility. We will credit a second installment just after spring break as the second phase of work begins.  

In early April, TDR will close to begin phase two of the renovations to ensure that all work is completed in time to reopen for the fall 2024 semester. Previously, we announced that our service during this phase of work would use an outdoor conditioned tent. However, working with our Student Affairs partners, we now have an improved plan to serve TDR meals on the first floor of the Mary Graydon Center (MGC), while adding additional temporary seating in MGC and outside around the Quad and on East Campus. During this phase, we anticipate having approximately 250 less total seats in MGC and will offer additional options for our meal plan holders, such as special events, food trucks, and barbeques.  

Student Thriving Complex 

In December, the Academic Support and Access Center (ASAC) opened in its new location on the third floor of Butler Pavilion. Bringing together services that previously were scattered throughout campus into one location, along with a large increase in space, was a significant milestone towards meeting AU’s continued commitment to support the academic development and educational goals of all students. 

As part of the more comprehensive building revitalization plan, renovation work has also commenced on the third floor of MGC. Construction is now underway in areas that will serve as more flexible and focused student spaces in the future, including the new Student Engagement Commons. Once work is completed on the third floor, a full renovation of the second floor will follow. By the time the entire renovation project is completed in 2025, MGC will have transformed into the core of engagement activity on campus, and an integral part of the student experience for years to come. 

Lastly, work is in progress to begin construction as early as possible this year on our new Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance. In advance of construction, the tennis and basketball courts are expected to begin closing on Monday, January 22. The Community Garden will also close around the same time with work already underway at its new future location near Nebraska Hall. The new location will provide more space and opportunities for program use, while enhancing the overall benefits of the garden to the AU community and beyond.

We look forward to sharing more updates with you throughout the semester on all our dining renovations and Student Thriving Complex. We invite you to contact us with questions or comments about this work at vpft@american.edu, and wish everyone a successful spring semester.  

Onward we go, together!     

Bronté Burleigh-Jones 
Chief Financial Officer, Vice President, and Treasurer 

Jonathan McCann 
Assistant Vice President, Planning and Project Management 

Michael Scher 
Assistant Vice President, Campus Auxiliary Services and Airlie