Wright State’s Dayton Campus focused on enhancing the experience of student-customers

The first floor of the Student Union Atrium will significantly change with the addition of the Student Involvement and Leadership Center and student organization offices and the renovated Raider Landing campus store.

When students arrive on Wright State University’s Dayton Campus for the start of Fall Semester, they will find numerous changes designed to enhance their collegiate experience.

The changes include new locations for three colleges, the Department of Public Safety, numerous student services based in the Student Union and a new campus bookstore.

“By the time the Fall Semester begins, it is going to be a very different campus,” said Rob Thompson, university architect. “All of the work we have done this summer has been focused entirely on some aspect of the student-customer experience. From the colleges to everything that we’re doing in the Student Union, it is all intended to improve some aspect of the experience at Wright State.”

Here is an overview of the numerous changes on the Dayton Campus:

The College of Health, Education and Human Services, which had offices in four different buildings, has moved into a shared location in Millett Hall. This includes the schools of Education and Leadership; Nursing, Kinesiology and Health Sciences; Professional Psychology; and Social Work and Human Services.

The Dean’s Office is now located in 163 Millett Hall, while the college academic and career advising offices are in 140–158 Millett Hall.

The nursing skills and simulation labs will remain in the basement of University Hall and will move to Millett Hall in the future.

College of Liberal Arts offices that were in Millett Hall — including the Dean’s Office and the schools of Humanities and Cultural Studies and Social Sciences and International Studies — have relocated to Allyn Hall.

The Dean’s Office and the college’s academic and career advising offices are now located in 106 Allyn Hall, while the two schools are on the third and fourth floors of the buildings.

The second floor of Allyn Hall will continue to be used primarily for general classroom space.

The School of Fine and Performing Arts remains in the Creative Arts Center and the Tom Hanks Center for Motion Pictures.

As part of the renovations to Allyn Hall, Wright State will open a new student lounge on the first floor, providing another space for students to hang out and study on the Dayton Campus. The open space will be equipped with new furniture and two large televisions.

“We need more casual gathering space for students across campus, and this will help fill that need, especially in Allyn,” Thompson said.

The Department of Public Safety, including the Wright State Police Department, relocated to 108 Allyn Hall. This more accessible location is designed to improve services for Wright State students and employees.

A new student lounge on the first floor of Allyn Hall will provide another space for students to hang out and study on the Dayton Campus.

Numerous changes are planned for the Student Union, most aimed at attracting more student activities to the building.

“We’re trying to be very intentional about what goes in the Union because we want students there,” Thompson said. “We want life, we want energy, we want it to be an exciting place to be.”

The Culture and Identity Centers are moving from Millett Hall into 019 and 023 Student Union. This includes the Asian and Native American Center, Bolinga Black Cultural Resources Center, the Latino Center, the LGBTQA Center, the Women’s Center and the newly created Disability and Neurodivergence Cultural Center.

Each center has a dedicated office and hangout space. The new suite also features the Multicultural and Identity Lounge in 019 Student Union, an open area for casual gatherings or formal events.

The Collegiate Esports Club will move into 029 Student Union, in the lower-level atrium, in the former student organization offices. After growing from 30 members to more than 300 in the last few years, the Esports Club needed a larger space, Thompson said.

“The university is prioritizing the success of the Esports Club and recognizing how much online gaming is part of modern students’ lives,” he said.

The Student Involvement and Leadership Center and student organization offices will move into the newly renovated space in 190 Student Union. This renovated area will feature an open space that puts student organizations front and center and supports the more than 200 student organizations recognized at Wright State, Thompson said.

The Raider Landing, the campus store managed and operated by eCampus, plans to return to its renovated space in 182 Student Union. Community members can expect a refreshed shopping experience with expanded apparel for Wright State fans. More details on the new Campus Store will be shared soon.

After significantly growing over the last few years, the Collegiate Esports Club will move into a larger space in the Student Union Atrium.

Later in Fall Semester, Career Services will relocate to the Pathfinder Lounge, 108 Student Union, and the University Center for International Education will move into its permanent location on the second floor of the Student Union.

Several changes are planned for the first floor of University Hall.

The administrative and staff offices of the College of Graduate Studies and Honors Programs moved from the Student Union to 160 University Hall.

Suite 101 University Hall is undergoing renovations and will become the new home of RaiderConnect and the offices of Financial Aid and the Registrar, creating a convenient service hub for current students.