Mars Hill University will hold a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony for its new Campus Center on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 2 p.m. President Tony Floyd will dedicate the building and will participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony with student representatives, members of the board of trustees, and university leadership.
The Campus Center opened for the spring 2026 semester and is the centerpiece of the Together We Rise campaign, designed to elevate the MHU student experience. This multi-year campaign has included a new entranceway to the campus, a renovated Sunken Garden that encompasses the Founders Memorial, and updated landscaping for the Lunsford Commons and the Lower Quad. The project has been funded entirely by donors and is in the final stages of that fundraising effort.
Campaign chair Wayne Higgins of Weaverville, North Carolina, will give a reflection on the campaign project and several donors will be recognized. Jordan Speece, a senior voice performance major from Lewisville, North Carolina, will sing a musical selection; Norah Crotty, a junior from Orlando, Florida, who is president of the Student Government Association, will give remarks on behalf of the student body. The university’s woodwind ensemble and the university choir will perform.
The Campus Center is a centerpiece of the MHU student experience, bringing together in one spot many offices dedicated to student success, including admissions, financial aid, student life, residence life, the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, the Cothran Center for Career Readiness, and the president’s and provost’s offices.
While those offices bring together many student-focused departments in one area, the heart of the Campus Center includes spaces designed to give students gathering spots dedicated to their needs: the Jim and Sharon Ellen Wellness Center, the Francis Fireplace Lounge with its double-sided fireplace and views of Bailey Mountain, Charlie T’s restaurant on the first floor, an adjacent social space with its own double-sided fireplace (with one side opening to the outside seating area), package lockers and the mail room, the Student Government Association office, and numerous study and gathering rooms tucked away throughout the building. The top floor also includes a new conference center, which will be one of the largest gathering spaces on campus.
About Mars Hill University:
Mars Hill University is a premier private, liberal arts institution offering over 30 baccalaureate degrees, as well as master’s degrees in criminal justice, elementary education, teaching, and management. Founded in 1856 by Baptist families of the region, the campus is located just 20 minutes north of Asheville in the mountains of western North Carolina.