News Summary
Brown University has revealed plans for a new admissions welcome center set to transform Manning Hall. Scheduled for completion in October 2025, the center will provide a warm welcome for prospective students and families, featuring interactive displays and a renovated 2,400-square-foot space. Construction commences following Commencement Weekend, while ongoing renovations in Manning Chapel are also aimed at enhancing the student experience. This development is part of a larger campus strategy that includes relocating other facilities and projects funded by donations.
Providence, Rhode Island – Brown University has announced plans to construct a new admissions welcome center within Manning Hall, with an expected completion date in October 2025. The new center will occupy a renovated 2,400-square-foot space that was previously used as gallery space for the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology.
The construction of the admissions welcome center is set to begin following this year’s Commencement and Reunion Weekend. The center’s design will include graphic elements by Roll Barresi and Associates and will feature interactive digital displays intended to showcase various aspects of life at Brown University. Visitors will enter the welcome center through glass doors located on the west side of the building, which opens to the Quiet Green area.
According to the university’s associate provost for enrollment and dean of undergraduate admission, establishing a dedicated space where prospective students and families can receive a warm welcome is crucial. Furthermore, the ongoing utilization of the second floor of Manning Hall will continue to house the Office of Chaplains and Religious Life along with Manning Chapel, which is undergoing renovations during the summer months. Despite these renovations, Manning Chapel is expected to reopen in time for the academic year.
The welcome center is part of a broader campus development strategy, which includes the centralization of the Haffenreffer Museum’s collections and staff to a newly renovated space in the Jewelry District. This new museum facility is anticipated to open in the Fall of 2027. Construction and renovations associated with the admissions welcome center and the Haffenreffer Museum’s new location will be entirely funded through donations, although the identities of the donors have not been disclosed.
Alongside these developments, Brown University is also planning to relocate the Office of College Admission to the currently unoccupied 14th floor of the Sciences Library. Additionally, the university will lease the former admissions office space in Providence’s Jewelry District to CV Properties, pending final approval.
Beyond the admissions welcome center, Brown University has several ongoing construction projects that are also funded by donations. These projects include renovations to Simmons Quadrangle, which will transform into an outdoor amphitheater expected to be completed in October 2025. This initiative follows planning concepts proposed more than a century ago by the renowned Olmsted Brothers firm.
Other notable construction plans include the William A. and Ami Kuan Danoff Life Sciences Laboratories in the Jewelry District, which will proceed this summer. This project is moving forward despite previous uncertainties regarding federal funding.
In summary, Brown University’s new admissions welcome center signifies a commitment to enhancing the experience of prospective students and their families. As part of an extensive array of developments on campus that continue to receive support from donors, the university aims to create state-of-the-art facilities while preserving the educational and cultural opportunities it offers.
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Additional Resources
- Brown Daily Herald: Admissions Welcome Center Announcement
- Wikipedia: Brown University
- Brown Daily Herald: Early Decision Class of 2029
- Google Search: Brown University Admissions
- Brown Daily Herald: Behind the Scenes of Brown Admissions
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Admission
- Brown Daily Herald: Legacy Admissions Criticism
- Google News: Brown University Construction Projects
