The Academic Center, made up of Rome Hall, Phillips Hall and Smith Hall of Art, is home to the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences and a number of its departments. It is a main classroom building with undergraduate language labs and undergraduate advising offices.

The glass-enclosed staircase, balconies and bridges make it a unique setting for creative minds, and the center walkway is lined with benches and trees, offering students a quiet place to catch up with friends, study and relax. Rome Hall houses the GW Police Department, Disability Support Services and several academic departments, including the Departments of English and Statistics. CCAS administrative offices, including the Office of the Dean, and a variety of academic departments, including History, Music, Sociology and Philosophy can be found in Phillips Hall. Smith Hall of Art houses the Department of Fine Arts and Art History and Gallery 102, a student-run art space that offers a platform for students to present work, practice curatorial strategies and learn how to produce and install exhibitions.