Oklahoma Christian University - Campus

Campus

Oklahoma Christian University is located two miles (3 km) west of U.S. Interstate 35 just south of the north Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond. While it is widely believed to be inside Edmond city limits, the campus is actually in Oklahoma City. The 240-acre (0.97 km2) campus is bounded by E. Memorial Road to the south, Smiling Hills Blvd. to the north, S. Boulevard St./N. Eastern Avenue to the west, and Benson Road and N. Bryant Road to the east. The main entrance to the campus is on Memorial Road and is marked by a large pond with fountain. Tha campus contains over 30 major buildings with the majority built in an International and Mid-Century modern-influenced architectural style, unified through the use of red brick with light-colored stone ornamentations.

The main entrance leads directly to the center of campus. Prominently located in this area is the William-Branch Center for Biblical Studies (1987), which contains Scott Chapel. Directly north of Scott Chapel is the Mabee Learning Center (1966) which houses the Tom & Ada Beam Library and the Department of Language and Literature. The Beam Library contains more than 110,000 books and media, almost 30,000 electronic books, and access to more than 8,000 periodicals in electronic or print format. Several administrative offices are also located in the Mabee Learning Center, including the Office of the President. Located between the Biblical Studies Center and the library's front entrance is the Thelma Gaylord Forum (1987), a heavily landscaped public space and amphitheatre intended as a relaxing study area and site for outdoor performances and events.

East of the Mabee Learning Center are four of OC's earliest buildings (1959): The Benson Administration Building housing the Business Office; Cogswell-Alexander Hall, containing the Registrar's Office; Gaylord Hall, site of the Admissions and Financial Aid Offices; and Vose Hall, which contains science labs and classrooms. All four buildings center around the University's original quadrangle and fountain. North of the original quad is the Davisson American Heritage (DAH) Building (1970) which houses the Department of History and Political Science, the Department of Psychology and Family Studies, and the School of Education. North of DAH is Herold Science Hall, home of OC's Student Undergraduate Research Program, and the 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2). Prince Engineering Center (1988). The Prince Engineering Center is the location of OC's School of Engineering and its ABET certified Mechanical, Electrical and Computer Engineering programs.

Located east of the main entrance is the 1,268-seat Hardeman Auditorium, the main campus venue for performances and convocations. Hardemann Auditorium is also the location of OC's mandatory daily chapel programs (students are allowed 15 absences per semester). McIntosh Conservatory, an open meeting and performance space, links Hardeman with the Garvey Center (1978) consisting of Mabee Hall and Kresge Hall. Contained within the buildings are the Mabee Communications Center and the Fletcher Center for Music. Included in these areas are classroom, offices and studios for OC's Speech and Mass Communications and Music departments. Also contained within this complex is the 275-seat Judd Theatre, designed for thrust or proscenium theatre productions, and the 190-seat Adams Recital Hall, an elegant and traditional space for solo and small group music performances.

East of Hardeman Auditorium is the Harvey Business Center (1980), housing the School of Business Administration and OC's Information Technology Services. Also in this area of campus is The Academy of Leadership and Liberty, a program "focusing its efforts on developing leaders and on discussing critical issues such as the responsibility of citizenship, free enterprise, and good governance." The Academy is housed in a 60,000 sq ft (5,600 m2). building originally designed for "Enterprise Square USA" an interactive museum dedicated to the promotion of American citizenship and free enterprise which operated from 1982 to 2002.

The areas of the campus west of the Chapel and Library are largely devoted to student residences and recreation. The Gaylord University Center (1976/1997) contains the cafeteria, a snack bar, bookstore, health center, recreation areas and the Student Life and Student Government Association offices. North of the University Center is the Payne Physical Education Building (1970), site of a campus fitness facility, olympic-size swimming pool, the Physical Education and Athletics Department offices, and the "Eagles Nest" gymnasium - OC's home court for basketball and volleyball competition.

Some of the newest additions to the OC campus lie between these buildings and the dormitories to the west. Lawson Commons, an outdoor mall area, contains McGraw Pavilion, a unique covered outdoor event space, and the Freede Centennial Tower, a 100-foot-tall (30 m) clock tower which stands as a focal point on campus and commemorates the 2007 Oklahoma state centennial. In October 2009, the OC campus received a gift of over 1,300 trees in five varieties through a partnership between the Tree Bank Foundation and the Apache Foundation which were planted across the campus, including along a walking trail that links with the Edmond trail system.

OC provides almost 1,800 on-campus living spaces in 11 residence halls and nine apartment complexes. Dormitories are located on the western end of the campus. Apartment complexes, available to upperclass and married students, are located across Benson Rd. on the east end of campus

The northern-most portions of the campus contain outdoor venues for soccer, softball, track and field (Vaughn Track), baseball (Dobson Field) and intramural sports.