two students walking outside a building on campus

Campus and Facilities

Website: https://washburn.edu/about/visit/virtual-tour/index.html

Washburn University is located on a spacious, attractive campus in the capital city of the state of Kansas. Washburn is a municipally supported, state assisted university comprised of five major academic units: the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Law, the School of Business, the School of Nursing, and the School of Applied Studies. There are approximately 6,000 students enrolled in traditional undergraduate degree programs, two-year associate degree programs and professional graduate programs in Law, Business, Psychology, Education, Social Work, Criminal Justice, Liberal Studies, Communication and Leadership, and Nursing. Visit the website listed above to learn more about the campus.

Washburn Institute of Technology was officially established in 1964. The school has completed major remodeling projects, having grown from one building in 1966 to a 43-acre, multi-building campus providing today’s valued technical training. Washburn Tech has 110 full-time staff including 70 faculty members offering 39 certificate programs to approximately 1,250 students, more than 50% of whom are postsecondary. The school also has Continuing Education and a Business and Industry Center with 35 part-time faculty offering continuing education courses and customized training to area businesses. Technical education in Kansas is overseen by the Technical Education Authority, a division of the Kansas Board of Regents through which Washburn Tech receives supplemental funding. For more information about Washburn Tech, visit www.washburntech.edu.

Washburn University and Washburn Tech are governed by an appointed, independent, 9-member Board of Regents.

Special Facilities

Listed below are brief descriptions of special facilities available at Washburn. For information on classroom buildings please visit the Campus Map website.

The Andrew J. and Georgia Neese Gray Theatre, seating 388, features a thrust stage, and is the site of productions by both the University Theatre Department and Community groups.

Athletic Facilities, The equipment and facilities for physical education provide an opportunity for every student to participate in Kinesiology activities. (See information on Petro Allied Health Center, Whiting Field House, and Student Recreation and Wellness Center.)

Carole Chapel was donated to Washburn in 2003 by the Menninger Foundation when the clinic relocated to Houston, Texas. Carole Chapel is open for meditation from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday when classes are in session. The chapel has reduced hours when classes are not in session and is closed on university holidays and when reserved for private events.

Whiting Field House, erected in 1928 and named for Albe G. Whiting, was renovated in 2009 and provides strength and conditioning facilities for varsity athletics and Kinesiology classes; a large playing floor for basketball, volleyball, wrestling, tumbling, and gymnastics work; office, classroom and laboratory space for the School of Nursing; and classroom space for other academic programs.

Yager Stadium at Moore Bowl was completely renovated in 2003. The first gift to the stadium renovation was from former Ichabod defensive end Bernie Bianchino, with substantial gifts from an anonymous donor and others. The Bianchino Pavilion includes six suites, media facilities, restroom and concession facilities, and meeting rooms. The new name of Yager Stadium at Moore Bowl is in honor of former Ichabod running back Gary Yager.

Indoor Athletic Center contains a 200 meter banked competition track, a 100 yard practice football field, as well as office space.  The Center is used for football, track, baseball, softball, and soccer varsity practice and as an indoor track and field competition space. 

Other playing fields are provided for additional varsity sports, varsity practice, and intramural sports. A baseball diamond and two softball diamonds for intercollegiate competition are available, and there are six excellent cement tennis courts located near Petro Allied Health Center.

Petro Allied Health Center is a state of the art physical education and athletic facility. This facility includes a large gymnasium with basketball, volleyball and badminton courts, as well as a running track. There is also a weight-training room, dance studio, athletic training room, exercise physiology laboratory, and Physical Therapist Assistant laboratory.

Bradbury Thompson Alumni Center, which was funded entirely from private sources, opened in April 1996. The Center houses the operations of the Washburn Alumni Association, Strategic Analysis and Reporting office, and Office of Sponsored Projects as well as the offices of the Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs and Administration/Treasurer. The building was designed to serve the needs of alumni and Washburn University, as well as provide meeting space for many community groups and organizations.

Charles Bennett Computer Center, completed in 1988, houses the main offices of Information Technology and Services, and academic computing laboratories.

International House, located near the center of the campus, is situated between the Student Union and Benton Hall. This Spanish-style structure, built in 1931 by Dr. and Mrs. Parley P. Womer, was the private residence of the former university president and his wife. After their deaths, the home reverted to the University and serves now as the center of international activities.

The building features a magnificent great room, 44 by 22 feet with a balcony on two sides, huge fireplace and a beamed, vaulted ceiling. Hurricane shutters and wrought iron balustrade and chandelier enhance the Spanish architecture. The House is furnished with American antiques and artifacts from around the world.

KBI Forensic Science Center is a state-of-the-science facility on Washburn's campus that includes more than 10,000 square feet for academic use. Building spaces specially designed for Washburn students include a vehicle bay for in-depth study of crime scene processing, an outdoor laboratory for forensic anthropology study, a dedicated laboratory space for each concentration area (digital forensics, forensic anthropology, forensic chemical science, and forensic investigation) near the KBI scientists of the same discipline, and state-of-the-art interactive classroom and laboratory spaces.

KTWU is a non-commercial television station licensed to Washburn University and a member station of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). It began broadcasting in 1965 as the first public television station in Kansas. KTWU’s broadcast center is located at 19th & Jewell Ave. on the Washburn Campus. KTWU offers five digital destinations for unique content: KTWU (PBS) in High Definition on Channel 11.1; KTWU/MHz Worldview on Channel 11.2; KTWU ENHANCE on Channel 11.3; KTWU.ORG, online; and KTWU MOBILE TV.

The station serves a 70-mile radius in northeastern Kansas as well as a 30-mile area in southeast central Kansas. In addition, other communities in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Missouri receive the KTWU signal over various cable systems. More information about KTWU is available on-line at www.ktwu.org.

The Law Library for Washburn University School of Law is located in the law building on the northwest corner of the campus. The National Jurist (March 2010) ranked the library 40th among 198 U.S. law school libraries using a mix of categories measuring collection, facility and staff resources. The library contains over 406,000 volumes, including titles in microfiche, video, and digital formats. It is an official depository for materials published by the U.S. Government Printing Office and Kansas state agencies. Appellate case reports and statutes from all fifty states are available as is an extensive collection of briefs from the U.S. and Kansas Supreme Courts. The online catalog provides direct access to selected Internet full text documents as well as to the holdings of the university’s Mabee Library and the 200,000 volumes held by the Kansas Supreme Court Law Library (located a five-minute drive from the law school in the Judicial Center).

The Washburn University School of Law has been in continuous existence since 1903. The School was admitted to membership in the Association of American Law Schools in 1905 and in 1923 was one of 38 law schools (from among some 150 then in existence) on the American Bar Association’s first approved list of law schools. For more information please visit www.washburnlaw.edu. Washburn will dedicate the new School of Law building during the 2022-23 academic year.

The Memorial Union provides university students, faculty staff, alumni and guests with facilities, programs, and essential services to meet the needs of daily campus life. Dedicated in 1952 as a memorial to Washburn students and Shawnee County residents who lost their lives in foreign wars, it serves today as the “living room of campus.”

One of the first stops for students arriving on campus is the Ichabod Service Center on the Union’s main level. Students receive their identification cards and learn about all the services and programs offered.

Union Market food court is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and offers a variety of food options. Outtakes C-Store, the Union’s convenience shop, serves coffees, smoothies, and frozen yogurt, among other popular and nutritious items.

The Ichabod Shop, located on the Union’s lower level, provides a complete selection of new and used textbooks. The university community shops here for their Ichabod gear and computer and other technology supplies, as well as a wide choice of Washburn imprinted gifts.

Washburn Student Government Association offices are also located on the lower level of the Union, as well as the Washburn Student Government Association offices are also located on the lower level of the Union, as well as the Campus Activities Board, and Washburn Student  Media. The Student Involvement and Development Office is located on the main floor of the Union.

Fifteen modern conference rooms of various sizes and numerous comfortable lounges guarantee the Memorial Union is the favorite meeting place for campus and public gatherings and student leisure activities.

The Mulvane Art Museum, founded in 1922 with a bequest from Joab Mulvane, is one of the oldest museums west of the Mississippi River.

Accredited by the American Association of Museums in 1988, the Museum houses a collection of approximately 4,000 objects from around the world including paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, photographs and decorative art. While international in scope, the Museum’s collection focuses on the works of artists from Kansas and the Midwest and has a concentration in American art of the 20th century. In addition to showing works from the collection the Museum also hosts traveling exhibitions.

Following a tornado in 1966, that destroyed most of the buildings on campus, the present complex was built. Due to the nature of the Mulvane Trust, the original building’s native limestone exterior was unchanged; however the severely damaged interior was gutted and connected to the new Garvey Fine Arts Center which also houses the Art History, Music and Theater Departments. The Mulvane Art Museum underwent another renovation project, completed in 2006, that increased exhibition space to 5,000 sq. ft., provided secure storage for the collection, art preparation areas, and significantly enlarged the art education program with the creation of ArtLab, a 1,500 sq. ft. hands-on art experience center and the renovation of four education classrooms.

In 2015, the Museum received a significant donation of paintings, drawings, sculpture, and archival material representing the lifework of Kansas artist, Rita Blitt.  A separate gallery and outdoor area was constructed adjacent to the White Concert Hall that is used to exhibit the many collection.  The hundreds of works offers unique opportunities to engage students and communities in the research, interpretation, and development of exhibitions and educational programs.

The Museum’s education program provides extensive community outreach to children at after school sites, public and private school classrooms and preschool centers throughout the region. In-house art classes, public lectures, family events and community educational experiences for people of all ages and abilities are also offered.

Admission to the Museum and ArtLab is free and open to the public.

Student Recreation and Wellness Center, SRWC, facility components include a rock climbing wall, indoor track, gymnasium, cardiovascular and resistance training area, multi-purpose room, wellness suite, and locker rooms. Program offerings include informal, intramural, group exercise, climbing and wellness opportunities.

The University Library: Mabee Library, located in the center of campus, is the intellectual and cultural heart of the university. Its staff offers a wide variety of services, with a special focus upon educational programs that promote the intelligent use of information resources and information literacy, including an Information Literacy Minor. Mabee Library maintains multiple different learning spaces such as the Ichabod Reading Lounge, a space for quiet study and reflection, and the Information Literacy Suite, a traditional mediated digital classroom. On the third floor is the John and Barbara Stauffer Learning Center, which includes both the Philip H. Etzel Immersive Classroom, a Twenty-first Century learning space that allows instructors and students to create the learning environment that best serves their needs, and the Dr. Richard E. Shermoen Math Learning Lab, designed to promote student success in undergraduate mathematics. The Library hosts a variety of educational and informational events for the Washburn Community of Learning.

The Library has three floors: the first level is a collaborative study space that also houses bound journals, the third level contains the stacks and the Washburn Tutoring and Writing Center, while the main level is a mixed space that serves the Washburn Community as a learning commons - a space for students and faculty to engage each other and the world outside the formal classroom. Laptops and IPads are available for checkout at the Welcome Center. The Library website or digital branch (www.washburn.edu/mabee)  is designed for ease of use, and features the ENCORE search tool that allows researchers to access the collections of Mabee Library, the Carnegie Education Library, the Washburn School of Law Library, the Kansas Supreme Court Library, and the Kansas State Historical Society Library. In addition to an extensive number of books and print journals, the Library also provides access to an expanding number of electronic resources. Librarians provide an online subject-specific set of help tools (libguides.washburn.edu), which extend public services beyond the 104 hours each week that in-person research assistance is available.

Special Collections in the Library include the Rare Book Collection, the University Archives, the William I. Koch Art History Collection, the Thomas Fox Averill Kansas Studies Collection and a growing Digital Institutional Repository that displays the scholarly work of both faculty and students.

Mabee Library is also the physical home of the Center for Student Success and Retention, which includes the following offices: Academic Advising, First-Year Experiences, Undergraduate Initiatives including the nationally recognized Ichabod Success Institute, and, the Center for Prior Learning and Testing.

The Carnegie Education Library, a branch of the Mabee Library, is located in Carnegie Hall. It specializes in teacher resources and is a representative pre k-12 library. The CEL enhances the teaching and learning initiatives of the Washburn Department of Education as it seeks to produce 21st century educators and to support its various communities. In addition to its physical collections, the CEL website (libguides.washburn.edu/celguide) provides access to an increasing number of digital resources.