Nearly three years and 31.4 million dollars later, the Chamberlain Student Center expansion finally opened to the public on March 12. 

The Board of Trustees members, including University President Ali Houshmand, Joseph Lizza, the director of the Chamberlain Student Center and campus activities, Kevin Koett, the vice president for student life and dean of students, and current Student Government Association (SGA) President Zackary Brown cut a Rowan-yellow ribbon, marking the official opening of the space. 

Koett opened the ribbon cutting by explaining to the crowd of students and staff the inspiration behind the expansion, which is modeled after a Greek “agora.” Agora translates to a public open space used for assemblies and markets. 

“And as you look around, you will see that purpose is everywhere…It’s about congregation, it’s about communal space, it’s about meeting rooms…It’s about you, the students. So, this building is dedicated to you,” said Koett. 

Houshmand echoed the sentiment that the expansion marks a new home for students to spend their time and that the space is theirs to make the best of. 

“I always wanted to have, dreamed [of having] a place where every single student and faculty can…feel home and be at 24/7 without feeling unsafe. That’s what I wanted. That is exactly what we have,” said Houshmand. 

The newly designed space offers a large office and meeting room for SGA, which other clubs, organizations, and students are welcome to book for their own needs as well. Current SGA President Zackary Brown said that they are “overjoyed.”

“It’s a new chapter for SGA. It’s a new chapter for Rowan, and it’s a new chapter for student advocacy and student leadership because we have a space now to work in,” said Brown. 

Jean Edelman, who is the secretary of the Board of Trustees and Glassboro State alum, was the first female SGA president during her time. 

“The space for SGA just fills my heart,” said Edelman. 

The 31,000-square-foot expansion features open spaces for students to study, chat with friends, or lounge in between classes. There are multiple meeting rooms for clubs and organizations to book, a stage to host performances, and an outdoor plaza and terrace. Along with the expansion brings a new Saxbys location on the ground floor, which is opening soon. 

“With this expansion, we are providing students with the resources, spaces, and experiences that contribute to their success both inside and outside the classroom,” said Lizza. 

Freshman environmental science major Rachael Irizarry plans on using the space for studying. 

“It looks really nice in here, I like all the space, especially the meeting rooms,” said Irizarry. 

Amethyst Pierce, a freshman law and justice major, is eager to take advantage of the space while other areas of campus are under construction. 

“While the library is under renovation it’s a good replacement,” said Pierce. 

The expansion serves as the sister space to the original building, which has had a home on campus since 1974. The new space seeks to align with Rowan’s goals of continually changing and growing as the campus itself expands. 

“The student center has always been the heart of campus, and this expansion allows us to better serve our growing and diverse student body. We can’t wait to see how Profs make this space their own,” said Lizza.

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