University of Notre Dame has Eddy Street; the University of Southern California has Trojan Village; Georgetown University has the intersection of M Street and Wisconsin Avenue—I could go on. Many colleges and universities around the country have a quintessential public space that they’re associated with. Santa Clara University is located in a region with a lot going for it—beaches, nature, big cities. But the University doesn’t have a particular ‘spot’ near its campus.
Santa Clara University isn’t in the center of a big city, yet San Jose is anything but a small town. Students have plenty of destinations to explore, from San Francisco—roughly an hour away by train—to the nearby coastline. To say there is nothing to do would be incorrect. But these are places that require time, planning and resources. Not everyone has a car or is willing to spend on an Uber, and organizing a group can be a challenge amidst busy schedules.
But with our own campus lacking a local social hub, Santa Clara University students primarily rely on these nearby cities or destinations for social bonding and a sense of community. Unfortunately, this isn’t a one-for-one tradeoff. The distance between campus and students’ favorite spots creates a physical disconnect between students and their social community, limiting opportunities for sustained connection and lessening the broader college experience.
Social life at the university level revolves largely around the curation of third spaces, like a local square, downtown area or even a strip mall where student social life can flourish. These hubs are essential parts of college campuses in how they foster community and belonging for students, but their worth is overlooked.
It could be argued that Santa Clara University has plenty of gathering spaces for students: Benson Memorial Center, Mission Gardens, maybe even the Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation. All are defining components of campus, but they do not fall into the ‘third space’ category; they weren’t designed specifically for students to spend time outside academic life.
Despite this, students have found ways to build social interaction and community, in some cases even leveraging the campus’s unique geographical location to their advantage. Student organizations like Into the Wild, the Santa Clara Community Action Program, and fitness club CHAARG are just a few spaces offering an inexpensive change of scenery. Broncos find ways to make the most of their surroundings, whether it’s traveling to Santa Cruz for an early-morning polar plunge or heading to Lake Tahoe for a ski trip.
While students have found ways to venture outside the ‘Santa Clara bubble,’ these outings still do not fill the University’s need for a third space. Exploring the Bay Area gives students a change of routine and time to spend with friends, but the key component of a third space is a shared sense of ownership and belonging; a dependable, local gathering place students can call their own outside academic and residential life.
It’s important that Santa Clara University take steps to fill this missing piece of campus culture. In its Impact 2030 strategic plan, the University identifies “Belonging for All Broncos” as one of its four strategic priorities, cultivating “belonging and lifelong connections” within its community. With these ideals at the heart of its strategic plan, the University should consider how its physical spaces can better support students’ sense of belonging.
Investing in a third space would be a meaningful step toward fulfilling these goals. Doing so would help create a more welcoming campus culture where Broncos can build sustainable connections, make lasting memories and form their own distinct community outside of academics.