College Announces New Student Center Opening Delayed

In a private meeting with the editors-in-chief of The Student, President Michael Elliott shared that the opening of the new Student Center and Dining Commons (SCDC) will be officially delayed to the fall of 2027 — a year later than the original plan.

This decision, Elliott said, is a result of “many factors the administration does not have control over,” including progress delays and persistent concerns over the building’s structural integrity that led to “unexpected budgetary constraints.”

A blizzard in February, which led to a record-breaking amount of snowfall on campus, significantly impacted construction progress. A newly built rooftop had partially collapsed due to strong winds and frozen rain, causing the third floor of the SCDC to be buried in two feet of snow. According to Elliott, a team of 30 professionals was hired to operate snow blowers, and had removed the snow “with great success” in just under a month.

Subsequent rounds of inspections revealed further structural damage to the SCDC. Last April, the campus police log noted that “multiple juveniles were observed skateboarding on the roof of the new student center.” While there was no immediate concern back then, an inspector noticed a “gaping crack” in a pillar two weeks ago, along with a skateboard stuck in the ceiling of the first floor. Subfreezing temperatures throughout February also damaged the building’s concrete base, leading to a year-long closure of the stairway down Memorial Hill to enable repairs and potential extraction of the skateboard.

These repairs have led to alarming budget concerns. In 2024, the estimated cost of the SCDC’s construction was $205 million — placing it as the second most expensive building on campus after the $240 million science center. However, expenses began to total over $300 million by February. A minimum of another $50 million is required to complete the interior of the building, according to Elliott. Furniture and appliance costs have not yet been calculated. As a result, students should expect a 30% tuition increase next semester, bringing the official cost of attending Amherst to six digits.

Another pressing issue, according to Elliott, is the naming rights for the SCDC. Currently, it is a four-way tie between Fizz user broke4doke, alumnus His Serene Highness Prince Austin II of Chesterfield, Senior Lecturer of Chemistry Stephen Cartier, and to-be-hired Professor of Concrete Technology Bob von Williston-Hitchcock Merrill-Pratt. Though an official dedication is tentatively scheduled for the fall of 2028, Elliott had disclosed to The Student that he is strongly in favor of the fourth candidate.

“Professor [Bob] will bring constructive criticism and concrete benefits upon his arrival,” Elliott said. “Though his name can be a mouthful, no one else embodies the spirit of the college’s pillar figures as well as [Bob].”

Despite delays in SCDC’s opening, Valentine Dining Hall is still on track to be out of use by next fall. “It has been operating at its absolute maximum capacity,” Elliott said. On Friday, a widespread short circuit caused the dishwashers to malfunction for the tenth time of the academic year. The cause was soon found to be an additional phone charger plugged in by a new employee, who has declined to comment as they are still occupied with washing plates.

Due to the predictable absence of a dining hall on campus for the next academic year, students are advised to bring packed lunches or dine in town. As a result, broccoli will see its second year of disappearance from campus.

Though the SCDC will not be put to use next fall, Elliott shared that it may be open to student visits soon. “In 2026/7, we will be inviting students, faculty, staff, and tour groups to appreciate the brutalist framework of the new student center’s interior,” Elliott said. “It has been a great place for me to contemplate — among many other things — the possible construction of a pond on campus.”

An email with more details regarding the SCDC will be sent out to the student body later today.