Student Spaces

“Ask any Bucknellian where their story began, and they’ll name a place: a lounge where friendships formed, a dinner table where perspectives shifted or a corner of the ELC where ideas came alive. These are the places where students discover who they are, realize new possibilities and grow into leaders. When we invest in spaces that bring people together, we create the foundation that makes every student feel they belong.” 

– Moe McGuinness, Vice President for Student Affairs & Fritz Family Dean of Students

A Bucknell education happens everywhere. It happens in classrooms and labs, and just as often in a residence hall lounge late at night around a crowded table, or in a quiet room where a student can find support when it matters most. Every one of those moments needs a place to happen. 

These are the places where students find their people. A reimagined Elaine Langone Center, renewed residence hall lounges, a restored 7th Street House, expanded wellness spaces and new places for reflection will give every Bucknellian room to connect, recharge and grow. It is where friendships start, leaders emerge and the Bucknell experience comes to life.

Room to gather. Room to grow. Room to be yourself.

For students: Welcoming, flexible and accessible spaces give students room to connect, recharge and thrive. Modern gathering areas, residence hall lounges, recreational facilities, confidential wellness services, and quiet spaces for reflection help students find their community and the support they need.

For Bucknell: Great spaces strengthen the connections that define the Bucknell experience. Restored cultural hubs, inviting common areas, and modern wellness and testing facilities create a campus where students from every background meet, collaborate and feel at home. 

Ready to transform: The vision is clear: a campus built around the whole student. Turning that vision into reality means investing in the places where community happens, from the ELC and 7th Street House to residence halls, wellness facilities and outdoor spaces for reflection. Together, they form the ground floor of The Foundation.

What your gift makes possible

• Elaine Langone Center Renovation: $7 million. Reimagines Bucknell’s student union as the living room of campus with inviting gathering spaces, recreation, open-mic programming, and quiet spaces for prayer, meditation and sensory needs.
• 7th Street House Renovation: $5 million total ($2.5 million philanthropy / $2.5 million university). Restores a historic home for generations of Bucknell alumni of color and creates a welcoming hub for student-led cultural programming and community building. 
• Holistic Wellness Services and Spaces: $10.5 million. Expands clinical capacity, creates flexible spaces for individual and group care, and improves acoustic privacy so students can access confidential, supportive services in spaces designed for their needs.
• Residence Hall Community Spaces and Esports: $4 million total ($1 million for Esports. $3 million for residence halls). Transforms Larison lounges into a dedicated gaming and esports facility, renews residential gathering spaces, upgrades service desks and creates private rooms for interviews, therapy and other student needs.
• Uptown Renovation: $1 million. Creates a more welcoming, accessible entrance, improves the student social experience, and reduces noise between gathering spaces and nearby residence halls.
• Testing Center Expansion: $1.5 million. Expands testing facilities to better support academic accommodations.