CEDARVILLE — Cedarville University held a dedication ceremony for the Bolthouse Academic Center on August 8, marking a significant milestone in the university’s expansion plans.
The ceremony took place at the construction site along State Route 72, where the new facility is expected to open in August 2027. The Bolthouse Academic Center, a $35 million project, is part of Cedarville’s One Thousand Days Transformed campaign, which aims to enhance the university’s infrastructure and academic offerings.
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Dr. Thomas White, president of Cedarville University, and Dr. Tom Mach, vice president for academics, spoke at the ceremony, reflecting on the significance of the project. Prayers were led by Dr. Kevin Jones and Dr. Mark Caleb Smith, deans of the schools that will be housed in the new facility.
The Bolthouse Academic Center is named in honor of trustee emeritus William Bolthouse and will feature a Georgian-style design with three floors of classrooms, student collaboration spaces, and a coffee and dining venue. It will house the School of Education and Social Work and departments of English, literature and modern languages, history and government, psychology, and social work.
A defining architectural feature of the building will be an 84-foot dome rising above Cedarville’s Main Street. The project was accelerated thanks to a $15 million anonymous gift, and the university is continuing to raise the remaining $4.8 million needed to complete the building.
The academic center is the final major project of the One Thousand Days Transformed campaign, which has already funded several campus expansions, including the Scharnberg Business and Communication Center and the Civil Engineering Building.
A commemorative brick patio will be a key feature of the new facility, allowing individuals to sponsor bricks engraved with names as a tribute to lives changed through Cedarville’s mission.
The Bolthouse Academic Center represents a significant step forward for Cedarville University, enhancing its academic facilities and supporting its mission of academic excellence and Kingdom service. The project is set to transform the campus landscape and provide new opportunities for students and faculty alike.
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