Kaufman Mall is the home of our iconic lion fountain and the hub of student life at Old Dominion University.
Located between Hampton Boulevard and the Webb University Center, it is one of the most recognizable areas of ODU.
You will see a number of ODU traditions out on Kaufman Mall including painting Paws during Homecoming week or student programming during Activity Hour.
Kaufman Mall is also home to our treasured University Seal.
Legend has it that you should never walk across the University Seal, if you do so, you will never graduate from Old Dominion University. Click here to listen now.
Kaufman Mall / Seal
Media Gallery
2023 ODU Homecoming
ODU News: Solar Eclipse 2017
University Seal
History
Kaufman Mall Events
🦁 University Seal
Here at ODU, we’re a little superstitious and believe stepping on the seal means you either won’t graduate at all or not graduate on time. We’ve heard plenty of tales that prove it to be true, so we love to keep our distance from the seal. Stepping on the seal is a big deal for our Graduating Student! They’ll gather in the Webb University Center and then parade out and over the seal before heading to graduation.
📜 History
ODU was founded in 1930 as the Norfolk division of the College of William and Mary. Then, in 1962, we broke away and became known as Old Dominion College. In 1969, we gained university status, becoming as we are known today, Old Dominion University. We get the name Old Dominion from King Charles II during the English Civil War in the late 1600s. The Virginian Colony was very loyal to the English crown, so he coined us as his “Old Dominion”. The four crests in the middle of our Seal represent the countries that took part in the war: England, Scotland, Ireland, and France.
🥳 Kaufman Mall Events
Kaufman Mall hosts a myriad of events throughout the school year. You’ll find events such as our Involvement fair for student organizations, tailgating for Football games, events hosted by various student orgs and campus offices, and so much more. To ensure students can take part in these events, they created Activity Hour. Activity Hour happens every single Tuesday and Thursday from 12:30 to 1:30. During this time, students can grab lunch, hang out with friends, or enjoy events happening on campus. Basically, if you’re looking for free shirts, Kaufman Mall is where you’ll find them!