Here on the JWU Providence campus we are lucky enough to have two separate, but very awesome campuses: Downcity and Harborside. I will be breaking down all you need to know about living on campus as a freshman, so get ready! Here is the ultimate guide to navigating the JWU Providence campus.
Located in the heart of Providence is our Downcity Campus, home to three freshman residence halls, five dining halls, nine JWU buildings, and one library. Downcity is the home to JWU’s general education classes, as well as business, design, engineering, hospitality, professional studies, and science liberal arts major classes.
The two residence halls that border Gaebe Commons and are also exclusive to first year students! Living in Snowden or McNulty absolutely has it’s perks; you will not only live with solely fellow freshman, you’ll live two steps from the Yena center library and find yourself within excellent walking distance of all your classes. You are also located on Gaebe Commons, the most popular hangout spot throughout the year. Whether it’s a Greek life stroll or “garnish-a-gourd,” you will always find something exciting going on on Gaebe!
A great freshman and upperclassman residence hall located right next to the Xavier Academic complex and the Bridge Center.
Snowden is a popular dining hall that offers all you can eat buffet style dining. The menu offers options that are available every day, as well as “specials” that are offered depending on the day. No matter what you choose, you are guaranteed to have an absolutely delicious meal.
City Burger is located down the block from Xavier Hall and Academic Complex. This is actually my all time favorite dining hall at JWU. City Burger is basically our McDonald’s with a twist! City Burger offers hamburgers and veggie burgers, as well as specialty burgers, French fries, milk shakes, and ice cream!
BYOB or Build Your Own Burrito (formerly known as Marketplace) is located on the lower level of the John Hazen White building. BYOB is basically like our version of Chipotle, so you can create your very own burrito or burrito bowl, it also doubles as a convenience store, so not only can you stop by for a burrito you can also pick up snacks, drinks, school or personal care items!
The Wildcat Café is located inside the Yena Center Library, which will absolutely come in handy when you want to grab a quick bite during a library study session. The Wildcat Café offers a selection of Starbucks brand drinks, along with JWU exclusive student made pastries.
Our JWU owned Starbucks is located right next to City Burger! Since this is an official Starbucks Café, you have the full Starbucks beverage and pastry selection to choose from, so go nuts!
Located in Wales Hall, Johnson & Wales’ first official building in Providence! The Wales Hall Fitness Center offers the latest in exercise equipment, weights, locker rooms, and group fitness classes.
Located directly next to Xavier Hall, Xavier Academic Complex offers business and hospitality courses! It is also home to Schneider Auditorium, another popular JWU venue for presentations.
Located right next to Xavier Hall, the BRIDGE center is home to JWU’s many fun and informative multicultural events. BRIDGE stands for Building Relationships, Intercultural Dialogue and Global Engagement. Without a doubt, the BRIDGE center is the perfect place to celebrate JWU’s multicultural diversity!
Located across the street from our Starbucks, John Hazen White offers classes specific to arts and science, and professional study majors. In the John Hazen White building you can also find the center for experiential education and career services, where you can receive assistance with career related inquiries and assistance with academic work.
I know what you’re thinking; sadly there are no tacos in here. The TACO (pronounced tay-co) Center for Business and the Arts and Sciences is connected to John Hazen White, and is home to business, arts, and science classes. There is also a JWU Center for Entrepreneurial Studies located on the lower level, in which students may go to learn and develop entrepreneurial skills.
Located next to John Hazen White, Wales Hall is the home to the fitness, gender equity, health, and student employment centers on the Downcity campus! Pepsi Forum, a venue for campus shows and events, is also located inside of Wales hall.
Johnson Hall is located right across from the John Hazen White building. In here you will find City Burger and Starbucks, as well as classrooms for accounting and finance courses.
The Student Services Center is located across the street from the Xavier Academic Complex. This is where you may go to find answers to any questions you have about academic scheduling, financial aid, loans, and new IDs.
Located a block over from the Student Services Center, the Physician Assistant Center contains laboratories especially set aside for those in the Physician’s Assistant Program.
The Downcity campus bookstore is diagonally across the street from Xavier Hall. This is where you can get the latest in JWU swag! From accessories, apparel, supplies and more, you’re guaranteed to find something to show off how proud you are to be a Wildcat!
The School of Engineering and Design is located a block over from Snowden Hall, if you are majoring in design, engineering or technology this is where your ‘major-specific’ classes will be held.
Right down the street from Snowden you will find the Center for Student Involvement. This is the headquarters for all of the clubs and organizations on campus. If you would like to know more about student government, Greek life, the Campus Herald, and so many more, this is the place to go!
The Yena Center library is located in Gaebe Commons next to McNulty Hall. In the Yena Center you will find books galore, study rooms, computer stations, and printing stations, which are all available for student use at no charge; all you need is your id!
Harborside Campus, the home of culinary arts, is located right on the border of Providence and Cranston. In addition to a beautiful view of the Narraganset Bay, here you will find three freshman residence halls, four dining halls, and five JWU buildings, all located (minus Harborview) on this absolutely stunning campus.
South, East, and West Halls are all located within very close proximity of each other. East and West Hall are exclusive to first year and transfer students, while South is open to freshman, as well as some upperclassmen,
Red Sauce is an Italian food centered dining location inside of the Harborside Academic Building. Here at Red Sauce you may order delicious pasta dishes, tasty calzones, scintillating sandwiches or salads and scrumptious pizzas! Red Sauce is “Dine-in or take-out” friendly, so you may take your food to go or opt to eat in the lovely dining area that has 2 large televisions for your enjoyment as well as music playing, so you may find you and your friends in a spontaneous karaoke session while enjoying great food.
Harborview Dining Hall is located on the lower level of Harborview, a few blocks down from the Harborside campus. Here you can enjoy buffet style dining, as well as a stunning view of the Narraganset Bay!
Located inside the Friedman Center, Liberty Market is your one stop shop for all of your snacking needs.
Yes, you’re reading correctly; JWU does indeed own two Starbucks locations – one on each campus! The Harborside Starbucks offers all of your favorite beverages and pastries and is located inside of the Harborside Academic Center, right next to Red Sauce.
Located on the right half of the Harborside campus are the athletic fields. Here you will find beautiful, lush, multi purpose turf fields used for soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, rugby, and intramural sports. You can come down to watch your fellow JWU classmates duke it out in a sport, or you may take a trip down to simply enjoy the view of the Narraganset Bay!
The Wildcat Center is the focal point of the Harborside campus. It’s located next to East Hall and is home to the Harborside bookstore. At the Wildcat Center you can get your fitness on, shoot some hoops in the gym, or catch a Thursday night movie run by University Involvement Board in the lounge. The fun doesn’t stop there though; all throughout the year, JWU hosts many events inside as well as outside of the Wildcat Center, so be sure to check them out!
When you first pull into the Harborside Campus, you will see the Culinary Arts Museum on your left. In the culinary museum you will find highlights of the progress made in the culinary and food service industry. The museum is open to JWU students free of charge, and a small fee for the public.
The Friedman Center is home to the museum, the Harborside library, Liberty Market, residential life office, academic support, and student financial services.
Located diagonally across from the Athletic Fields, the Cuisinart Center holds 30 teaching laboratories for culinary and beverage related courses. As a culinary arts major, you are guaranteed to learn a great deal about your craft in this state of the art building.
Located directly behind the Cuisinart Center, the Harborside Academic Center is not only home to Red Sauce and Starbucks, it’s also home to kitchen laboratories and academic classes. This allows you to have full hands on learning experience, in addition to general classroom work.
Here you can find hours, locations, and contact info. for all JWU locations, in addition to bus schedules.
JWU ID’s are needed to gain entrance into JWU buildings and when boarding JWU buses. Your JWU ID is also your key to your meal plan, so be sure to have it when you go to the dining halls. You will also want to have your ID on you when going to the printing stations!
If you print from a JWU computer, you can swipe your ID at ANY printing station within four hours, and you will receive your document in a matter of seconds.
JWU Wi-Fi is complimentary and available in all residence halls and buildings.
JWU has so much to offer, whether it’s clubs, sports, or volunteer opportunities; so you will definitely find something you enjoy. And if not, JWU offers the possibility of starting your own club or organization as well!
UIB (University Involvement Board) is the host for a lot of amazing events on campus! They post a calendar of events on Facebook, so be sure to like them so you can stay posted on upcoming events that you definitely won’t want to miss!
This is your first year of college, the start of some really awesome years to come! You’re going to meet so many amazing people and make a lot of crazy memories, so get ready to have the time of your life here at JWU!
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