Returning students to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater may have noticed a makeover to the Down Under in the University Center. The renovations are part of a program by the UC’s administration to update the atmosphere of the Down Under and make the area into the university’s premier hangout hub.
The renovations are being completed in phases. The first phase began in spring 2025, and the anticipated completion of the renovations will be by the end of fall 2025.
Angela Meldonian, executive director of the University Center, described the phases of the renovations.
“We started the brainstorming process in the spring of ’25,” Meldonian said. “We began at the very beginning of summer 2025. All we’re waiting for now is phase two, so we’ve completed phase one. Phase two is the new furniture; a portion of the new furniture will be here in the middle of October.”
Students can also expect some free video games to be placed in the Down Under space as well.
“Using that UC Insight Survey data from spring of ’25, 83.7% of students who completed the survey agree that the UC promotes a sense of community. 91% indicates it’s a central place for students to meet. And 74.5% indicated that the UC has contributed to their sense of belonging,” Meldonian said. “And so, all that helps us strive, making sure we can stay up to date with our spaces and what we offer in the university center to make sure that it really meets our students’ needs.”
Meldonian discussed some of the objectives in renovating the down under.
“One of our goals is to look at intentional design space,” Meldonian said. “That’s one of the areas you kind of have the mentality that if you build it, they will come.”
Intentional design space seeks to create greater utility in Down Under.
“We wanted to build a space that was more flexible for us to do more programmatic things or also more organic things where we’re seeing students sit together in larger groups,” Meldonian said. “We’re really looking for those community spaces by changing out the different types of furniture. Furniture used to be very solid and not movable for various reasons. I think where we’re headed is, how can we make it more flexible so we can do more with the space?”
The renovations are currently on track to finish on time with no anticipated setbacks. Meldonian also underscored how student input has played a role in the process.
“I think it’s important to note, too, that it’s important that we have a lot of student input, so we did talk to a lot of students,” Meldonian said. “Like the aquarium that you kind of see right now with the fish, that came from a student idea. While students would love to see a real aquarium, that’s not realistic. But we thought it was a cool feel to have in the background. Again, what can we do for enhancements in that space that are low cost?”
Students with ideas for the Down Under can reach out to Meldonian.
“And then I take that back to the university center team, [and] we vet those ideas,” Meldonian said. “If it’s something we think is feasible, we take it to the UC Advisory Board to explore a little bit more. The UC Advisory Board is made up of shared governance stakeholders and then probably about 10-12 students from various areas around campus.”
The Down Under Renovations are scheduled to be completed by the end of fall 2025. These changes are designed to make the space more dynamic and student-oriented.
