The Commons Center is the community crossroads of the Commons living learning community. It has it all: the Dining Hall and great food; a living room with a concert grade grand piano, and the occasional live musical performance; a small rec room with cardio equipment, free weights, and weight machines; meeting and study rooms; and academic support services like the Writing Studio and the CASPAR premajor advising center. Students from across campus come here for a meal, a quiet place to study, an event, or a meeting with a professor. The third floor of the Commons Center is the home of the Department of Political Science, the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, the Latin American Public Opinion Project, and the Research on Individuals, Politics, and Society Lab.

The Dining Hall

The dining hall is a meeting place for students from all ten houses. By day, natural light flows through five skylights and expansive floor-to-ceiling windows as students enjoy their meals from the nationally recognized Food Gallery.

The dining hall isn’t limited to breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It has served as venue to dozens of concerts, and is the home of each semester’s formal dance. Beyond it’s role in the social fabric of The Commons, the dining hall is open to students all night, every night as a group collaboration and study space.

Exercise Room

The Commons Center exercise room offers students a convenient place for both cardiovascular and anaerobic exercise. The facility features:

• Treadmills
• Stationary bikes
• Elliptical trainers
• Free weights
• Weight machines
• Rowing machine
• Stairmaster
• Exercise and medicine balls
• Exercise mats
• Ping pong tables

The exercise room is open from early morning until late evening.

The Writing Studio

The Writing Studio fosters conversation, collaboration, and critical reflection on writing. Open to all members of Vanderbilt’s scholarly community, the Studio provides opportunities to receive constructive feedback from trained consultants and to develop strategies for all stages of the writing process.

Located in the academic support space in room 217, the Writing Studio is open for individual appointments Sunday-Thursday from 3:00-10:00 p.m. The Studio also hosts special events throughout the academic year. For more information about the Studio, visit www.vanderbilt.edu/writing.

Post Office

The Commons Center is home to a full service USPS branch.

Leed Certification

From the lights to the layout, the Commons Center was designed with efficiency and eco-friendliness in mind, and has been awarded a Gold LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

For more information about Vanderbilt's sustainability efforts, visit SustainVU.