Ceremony set for Aug. 27 to recognize progress of AU’s campus beautification projects

ASHLAND, Ohio – A dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held to celebrate the progress this summer of the nearly $20 million in campus beautification projects that are currently underway at Ashland University. It will take place Saturday, Aug. 27, at 4 p.m., on King Road across from the Hawkins-Conard Student Center, where a new archway will soon be added to the Avenue of Eagles, a central pedestrian pathway on campus.

The event is free and open to the public, but the favor of an RSVP is requested. Light refreshments will be served, including Whit’s ice cream.

Among those on hand for the ceremony will be Dwight Schar ’64, who has made these projects possible with two significant financial gifts. The finishing touches of a full-scale renovation to Clayton Hall are being completed, as students will be moving into the nine-story residence hall in just a few days. The makeover includes air conditioning, two-person suites (each with a private bathroom), new windows, LED lighting, flooring and more.

There are also a number of campus beautification projects that are in progress, and more to come. Those in progress include transforming the walkways of the Avenue of Eagles, major landscaping, sidewalk and pedestrian bridge upgrades for the Claremont Ave. Streetscape, the construction of two outdoor plazas adjacent to the John C. Myers Convocation Center, the redevelopment of the Gill Welcome Center parking area and brick sidewalk replacements outside of Founders Hall and the Quad.

Ashland University is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.