A rendered design of the new Buckeye Commons entrance, showing the new glass doors and lounge spaces on the inside. Credit: Courtesy of Scott Brown.
Ohio State is renovating Buckeye Commons in the Ohio Union this academic year, adding new collaboration and study spaces designed to expand student support and community-building services.
Buckeye Commons is a multi-purpose space for students to sit, study and hang out with their peers, according to an Ohio State website.
New additions include collaboration zones with an open lounge space at the entrance, huddle rooms along the hallway for individual or group work sessions and a new design in the Alonso Family Room to match the rest of the renovation.
“No matter who comes through our door, we want them to feel like they belong here, not just at Ohio State, but especially at Buckeye Commons,” Scott Brown, managing director of Buckeye Commons, said.
Students had suggested a multi-purpose space and an inviting tone for the updated space.
Renovations will be complete in mid-spring 2027, according to Brown.
“We’ve voiced [our input] in the remodel, making the space more open and welcoming,” Joshua Davis, a graduate student in public administration on the public affairs track, said.
Davis has been a part of Buckeye Commons since it was founded in the spring 2025 semester by senior vice president for the Office of Student Life Melissa Shivers. She had invited many student leaders to provide input on how the space can better serve the student population.
Until the renovations are over, Buckeye Commons will be on the third floor of the Union.
Buckeye Commons offers a variety of student resources, including mental health, career coaching, student engagement opportunities and disability services. Last academic year, 12,000 students used Buckeye Commons resources at least once, according to Brown.
“We are all committed to our mission of providing the best possible support to students, ensuring their academic, personal [and] professional success while at Ohio State and preparing them for life beyond Ohio State after they graduate,” Brown said.
