Dean's Message
Dear Alumni and Friends of Oxford:
Through the windows of my office in Seney Hall I have a prime view of the 150-foot crane operating on the construction site of Oxford’s new science building. It is a daily reminder of the exciting things that are ahead for our science program and of how far we have come in bringing Oxford’s physical facilities up to standards that support our excellence in teaching.
Improvements to Oxford’s buildings and classrooms, while important, are not our only focus, however. The Oxford Organic Farm, the Center for Healthful Living’s expansion of athletics and wellness education, and the implementation of Oxford’s inquiry-guided curriculum are all examples of the ways in which we continually strive to make the Oxford experience the best it can be. The job is never done.
And while the construction of the science building is a pinnacle achievement of our long-term strategic planning during the past decade, our campus development plan is not a static document. We update it systematically and continually. There is more construction and renovation, though nothing quite as dramatic as our science building, in Oxford’s near future.
This May, we expect to break ground on a new dining hall on a site at the corner of Pierce and Wesley Streets. The new facility will give us the capacity to serve our students better and make every aspect of meal preparation more efficient. We have begun a feasibility study on repurposing Pierce Hall after the science building opens for classes in January 2016. Faculty offices and a few classrooms are at the top of the list.
Eventually we hope to repurpose the current dining facility for use in some aspect of our campus life programming. If that comes to pass, we will need a feasibility study on the best uses for Candler Hall. And so it goes.
These facilities are all means to the end of an ever more transformative Oxford education. They create new opportunities for both faculty and students. It is an exciting time to be a part of this distinctive place. Thank you for all the ways you support Oxford College.
