Smith Fall Term Building Hours

A big Smith welcome as the fall term gets underway at Portland State!

This Smith Scoop has fall building hours, information on some center moves and temporary relocations as well as the latest on the infrastructure work underway in the student union.

Beginning Sept. 29, Smith Memorial Student Union will be open to the campus community the following hours this term:

Student, staff and faculty PSU ID general access – 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily.
SW Broadway entrance open to the general public – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. M-F only. Those making deliveries should come during these hours.
Visitor access for scheduled evening and weekend events will be through the SW Broadway entrance.
Those PSU staff members with extended building access will continue to have that access to Smith.

Retail and key amenity hours include:

The University Market in Smith will be open 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. M-Th, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.
Bowery Bagels will be open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. M-Th; open until 1 p.m. on Friday.
Smith’s Kitchen food court will again feature Kunniq’s Gourmet Sausage and Ace Sushi and welcome Cha Cha Cha Taqueria and Smash Attack. The Kitchen opens at 10 a.m. with hot food service from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. M-Th; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. Learn more about the new vendors below.
Smith’s Place in the Broadway lobby will feature grab-and-go including Marsee Pastries and craft coffee drinks this fall. The hours will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. M-Th; 8 a.m to 2 p.m. Friday.
The Smallwood Food Pantry, located in the basement of Smith, will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. Don’t forget the Free Food Market is the second Monday of the month on the Park Blocks outside Shattuck
The Viking Gameroom bowling and billiards in the Smith basement be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. M-F unless an event is occurring. Check the Gameroom calendar for event closures. Don’t forget you can get a free popcorn on Fridays with your PSU ID.
In Viking Pavilion, the Versa Cafe will feature Bashas Mediterranean, smoothies, breakfast wraps and sandwiches this fall. Their hours are 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. M-F.
The Bowery Bagels @ The Library coffee counter will be open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. M-Th; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays in Millar Library.

Some of these folks rely on student staffing and you might find their hours change during the term.

Fourth Floor Centers Shuffle About

Several student resource centers on the fourth floor of Smith Memorial Student Union have changed spaces to better serve students and the campus community. Please drop by and check out everyone’s new digs.

The Basic Needs Hub is now in SMSU 462.

The Resource Center for Students with Children is in SMSU 458.

Queer Resource Center is sharing staff and space with the Women’s Resource Center in SMSU 439.

The Office of Student Affairs is still located in SMSU 432 and the Dean of Student Life’s Confidential Advocacy program is in the University Center Building.

The office of the Basic Needs Hub includes seating, kiosk to sign in and a mini food pantry on shelves.

The office of the Basic Needs Hub has moved to SMITH 462. Take a right when you get off the elevator instead of a left.

Resource Offices Relocate During Maintenance Work

Several student and faculty support centers have relocated during the first phase of heating, ventilation and air conditioning work in Smith Memorial Student Union.

The following services have temporarily moved to other buildings until early 2026 while upgraded HVAC is installed. Please check the organizations’ webpages for regular updates on staffing, hours and events.

Disability Resource Center — University Center Building, Suite 400

Office of Academic Innovation — Vanport Building, Suite 560

Student Legal Services — Parkmill Building, Suite 184

Conflict Resolution Program — Cramer Hall, CH346

The Helen Gordon Infants & Tots Program, usually in the Broadway lobby of Smith, will be located in the Helen Gordon Center during the academic year.

Latest on HVAC, Elevator Upgrades

The critical maintenance work to upgrade three of Smith’s 10 HVAC systems and four heavily used elevators over the next year-and-a-half is underway. Most of this work takes place in mechanical areas not accessible to the public. Some of it is taking place at night to reduce congestion in the building.

Please note: The student union will remain open with events, retail amenities and most resource centers operating as normal.

The first heating, ventilation and air conditioning system to be upgraded -- Supply Fan 4, which serves the Mezzanines and a portion of the ground floor — was shutdown last week. After pieces of the old system are cleared out, work will begin on the upgrade. It is expected to be back in service by March.

Elevator work is scheduled to begin in November. Up first will be the elevator to the Mezzanines. Only one elevator will be closed at a time.

We are expecting cranes will need to be positioned on SW Broadway two or three times between now and the end of 2026. The Broadway entrance will have to be closed on those days and some fourth floor users might be asked to work from alternative locations during equipment moves. We will report dates for the crane work when they are finalized.

This very important building infrastructure is being replaced to extend the system lifespans and provide more efficient HVAC and accessibility in support of student and PSU community activities in the building.

You can find more detailed updates on Smith’s Critical Maintenance Updates page. The link is in the green button, below.

We appreciate everyone's patience and cooperation.

Smith Critical Maintenance Updates

New Menu Options at Smith's Kitchen, Smith's Place

This fall the food court and coffee shop on the ground floor — operated by PSU Eats (link to Instagram) — will bring some new menu items to Smith:

Cha Cha Cha Taqueria – Offers tacos, burritos, quesapizzas, and other Latin-inspired bites
Smash Attack – Smash-style burgers, loaded fries and cheesesteak
Smith’s Place, off the Broadway lobby – Convenient grab-and-go café with pastries from Marsee Bakery, craft coffee drinks and more
These offerings join Kunniq’s Gourment Sausage (with their own changing menu) and Ace Sushi back in the food court this fall.

Stop by and check them out — perfect for lunch, a quick snack or your next coffee break!

Raman cookers, icy drink stations, ramen packages and a machine that blends milkshakes on demand are part of the service in Smith's Place.

Self-serve ramen, icy drinks (coffee and energy) and a DIY milkshake machine are featured in Smith's Place.

Community Time Is Coming: 12:40 to 1:30 p.m. M-F

Just a reminder that the new academic schedule will feature “Community Time,” a break in the middle of the day so students can connect with other students, take part in group activities, engage with faculty or even catch some well-earned mental rest. The University is offering this new block to enhance the academic experience.

The Viking Gameroom and University Market will be offering Community Time specials on activities and food — look for signs and social media as the term gets underway.

If your Smith-based organization or resource plans special Community Time activities, please tag us on Instagram @smithunionpsu as we share events this fall. You can also send your Smith events to smithads@pdx.edu for consideration on the Smith display screens.

Follow the Smith Scoop throughout the year for updates and information about Portland State's Student Union. Sign up online and then remember to approve the confirmation email to receive the Scoop.

Building Issues? Here's Who to Contact

For most concerns related to the use of Smith, contact building manager Mercedes Youngston, 503-725-4334. These would include custodial issues, non-emergency maintenance, space-related issues and access control needs. Note: If you submit a request to the Facilities Work Control Center for facility emergencies in Smith, please CC Mercedes.

For safety concerns and after-hours building emergencies in Smith, contact Campus Public Safety Office at 503-725-5911.

Call 911 immediately for any life-threatening emergencies.

Smith is managed by the Campus Events & Student Union office, located in Smith 119 (off the Broadway lobby). You can reach us at conferences@pdx.edu, 503-725-2663.

Schedule Events with 25Live

Portland State University has switched to 25Live for all event venue requests, scheduling and planning. Want to use the Smith ballroom for a cultural night? Host a speaker in KMC or a department party on the Urban Terrace? Your request will now go through 25Live which provides more visibility of open dates and more information on venues.

If you are your department's event planner and haven’t been contacted about 25Live training, reach out to Campus Event’s Matt Berger to schedule a session.

Thanks for taking the time to read the Smith Scoop.

To let us know about an upcoming event of general interest or changes in your department or Smith-based group, drop us a line via our Scoop Content Submission Form.

Smith Memorial Student Union at Portland State University is managed by the Campus Events & Student Union office, located in Smith 119 (off the Broadway lobby). You can reach us at conferences@pdx.edu, 503-725-2663.

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