The Academic Resource Center is the intellectual hub of campus, encompassing the campus library, tutorial center for writing and math, learning disabilities center, reading rooms, coffee shop, and bookstore. A 3,000-s.f., climate-controlled museum space is open to the public and features a rare books collection, city and college archives, and an exhibit of Dubuque history.
A bridge connecting the Academic Resource Center to the existing Alumni Campus Center, the social hub of the college, encourages campus-wide interaction while recognizing the need for an intellectual and social balance in a college environment. Several informal gathering areas and 15 closed study areas for groups up to eight surrounds an ornamental cascading staircase that connects all four floors.