The Oak Grove is the heart of our campus. It takes students from one class to the next with natural beauty that is relaxing—even uplifting. It takes alumni back in time on every visit. It's the place you'll remember most when you think of IUP.
The tree rings inside each tree mark the years. Decades of IUP history and tradition are symbolized by the strength and growth you can see in the Oak Grove.
The beautiful landscaping and selection of trees has a higher purpose, too. They are some of the highlights of our Allegheny Arboretum.
The Oak Grove is also the home of our September 11 Memorial.
Getting to Know Your Oak Grove
You take your first steps to your first classes beneath the deep green leaves of late summer.
Fall comes. The Oak Grove is transformed. Golden leaves lit by sunshine play in the breeze with leaves in warm browns and reds.
You spread out a blanket and shrug off your backpack. You find your earbuds and watch a squirrel snatch an acorn nearby. You open up your textbook and study for that test.
Fall passes, and holidays come and go. A new year begins. New classes. New professors.
You return to find the Oak Grove dressed in winter. Snow flakes float softly to the ground and land in your hair. Your boots feel warm and snug as you walk past a few students tucking snow into the edges of a small snowman.
After class, the snow clouds have passed. Bare trees hold outlines of soft, white snow against a clear, blue sky.
Before long, the first warm spring day arrives. Hammocks are strung. Blankets are patted onto the grass.
There's someone on every bench. Experiencing the warmth. Breathing in the freshness of the budding trees, the warming earth, the early flowers.
Four years—16 seasons—pass. Your classes change. You change. Transforming like the leaves. Growing like the trees—in a place that always welcomes you back, any time of the year.