Students at
Marquette University will soon have a new space to study and access academic resources.
Marquette University’s
Lemonis Center for Student Success, located at 1415 W. Wisconsin Ave. in Milwaukee, will open to students on Aug. 26. The facility houses an academic resource center, a career center, study rooms, a commuter lounge and other resources for students.
Marquette alum
Marcus Lemonis, who is the CEO and chairman of
Camping World, donated $15 million in February 2022 to create this facility in the space formerly called the Memorial Library. Remodeling of the site began in May last year. The project involved renovating 35,355 square feet.
“We’re very excited to welcome students into the space this fall and show them how this new physical space is going to help enhance the student experience and their student academic journey,” said
Lora Strigens, vice president for planning and facilities management at Marquette University.
The facility has a centralized location on Marquette’s campus. Strigens said it was important for the building to feature an entrance accessible from Wisconsin Avenue to serve as a “beacon.”
“As our students walking (on) campus, as prospective students are coming and visiting Marquette, they can see their academic journey, their student experience journey, their wellness journey, coming to life, and this is really a beacon to share that for student success,” Strigens said.
Inside, the second floor’s main features include the “Ask Me Desk” — a location for students to ask any questions or receive guidance — as well as a multi-purpose room and conference room. There is also an Iris Air Photo Booth that students can use to take a professional headshot photographs for free.
The fourth floor is home to both the Academic Resource Center and the Career Center. The Academic Resource Center provides tutoring and academic coaching for students. There are 14 new tutoring spaces located in the facility for this purpose. The Career Center has nine spaces for students to have remote job interviews.
There are also four soundproof rooms that students may use for virtual meetings or calls.
The facility’s commuter lounge resides near the Raynor Bridge.
Marilyn Jones, the director of the Lemonis Center for Student Success, said the commuter space is “very special” to her, as she used to be commuter student.
“This area in particular reflects our efforts of how we think about different student populations,” Jones said.
The lounge will collaborate with the Alumni Memorial Union commuter lounge to serve the university’s commuter students.
Jones said a goal for the Lemonis Center is to address the different needs of students while encouraging “a sense of community” and “a sense of joy for learning.”
“We’re caring for the whole student,” Jones said. “Promoting social development, social growth, spiritual, emotional — that’s also part of the center.”
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