Student Residences

24 Jul

This page of news items is a service of the Society for College and University Planning. It is managed by an undergraduate student from the University of Michigan and was last updated in January 2007. If you see a news media item that you think should be included here or you find that a link to a news story is no longer active, please send an e-mail to campusdesign@scup.org.

Note that the top “Google Search” link will take you directly to an instantaneous search of related, recently indexed news items within Google. Also, click on the “2007 News” link to find the latest news on this topic.

List

(December 18, 2006)
Troy University: Troy University enrollment increases 4 percent for fall term
“Troy University’s worldwide enrollment topped 28,000 for the first time in university history for fall term 2006, marking a 4 percent increase over fall term 2005, according to university officials. The final headcount enrollment for fall 2006 is 28,255 students, compared to 27,104 enrolled worldwide for fall term 2005…Schmidt said that a new 525-bed residence hall complex under construction on the Troy campus will enhance recruiting efforts for 2007. He said residence halls are filled to capacity for fall 2006.”

(December 18, 2006)
University of Tennessee: UT sets sights on new dorm
“There are no designs or preliminary plans yet for the residence hall, and UT’s list of revenue-funded projects will need to be in Gov. Phil Bredesen’s 2007-’08 budget…The proposed residence hall would be 600-700 beds and tentatively would be along Andy Holt Avenue near its intersection with Frances Street…He estimated it would take “at least” 12 months to design. Construction would begin in 2008 at the earliest…Estimated cost of the new residence hall is $41.5 million. “

(December 17, 2006)
Purdue University: Purdue trustees vote to increase housing fees
“West Lafayette—Purdue University students will pay an average of 5.25 percent more next fall than in 2006-07 to live in university housing on the main campus. Purdue’s Board of Trustees voted Saturday to approve room and board rates of $7,388, an increase of $386, said John A. Sautter, vice president of housing and food services…The increase also includes a 2 percent surcharge to fund ongoing improvements that already have seen $134 million in renovations, including three new dining courts, air conditioning in more than half the student space and upgrade of fire sprinkling systems. A new residence hall is also scheduled to be built starting next year.”

(December 16, 2006)
Ball State University: Renovations planned for BSU residence halls
“On Friday, Ball State trustees approved $24.6 million in renovations to DeHority Residence Halls, originally constructed in 1960. Renovation work is expected to begin in December 2007 and continue through May 2009. Trustees also approved Schmidt Associates of Indianapolis as architect for the project. Funding for the DeHority renovation will come from housing and dining renewal and replacement funds. Improvements to DeHority are the latest project in Ball State’s long-term efforts to upgrade on-campus student housing options. In fall 2007, Ball State will open Park Hall, a 512-student residence hall under construction just north of DeHority.”

(December 15, 2006)
Pennsylvania State University: Runkle Hall residents prepare to move out
“Runkle Hall of North Halls will close this spring for renovations, and the 400 students now living there will have to relocate, said Lynn DuBois, associate director of Housing…’Housing was able to accommodate students in the type of space they wanted, whether it was Nittany Apartments, Eastview Terrace, or a residence hall room,’ she said…Justin Heisey (sophomore-biology), another resident in Runkle Hall, has faced similar confusion. ‘No one’s contacted me about when I can move or where I can store my things. I’m moving in seven days, but right now I’m just hanging here,’ he said.”

(December 15, 2006)
University of South Carolina: USC Aiken plans for new housing
“Plans are currently underway to build a new student housing residence at USC Aiken. In order to satisfy the need for more student housing on campus, officials at USC Aiken have made the decision to build another student housing residence on campus…Construction of the new building will begin no later than June 2007. The building will be finished by July or August 2008…The new building is projected to have a total of 300 beds for student use…The students living in the new hall will be grouped eight students per suite. There will be four bedrooms in each of these living areas, and every two students will share a bedroom and bathroom. There is currently a proposal to put a MicroFridge in every student bedroom. ”

(December 13, 2006)
University of Michigan: North Quad changes will cost $38 million
“Revamping the design for a new residence hall at the University of Michigan will add $38 million to the cost and delay the project by a year…’Two major drivers of the increased cost are the one-year extension and additional architectural fees necessary to redesign and complete the project,’ Slottow wrote. ‘The other cause for additional cost is the increased quality of the building design and materials, including elements such as the pitched roof, full basement, increased quantity of steel, concrete and exterior wall area, and enhanced building materials,’ Slottow said. The changes mean the new building won’t open until 2010. ”

(December 13, 2006)
York College Waits for final approval of dorm
“York College has entered the final phases of a plan to expand its on-campus housing for students and is awaiting zoning approval to build a 360-bed dormitory off Richland Avenue…The new apartment-style residence hall will sit off Richland Avenue, behind and to the east of Brockie Commons and Richland Hall. If plans for Little Run Lodge are approved, the new building would increase the college’s number of on-campus beds from 2,018 to 2,368, said college spokesman David Salter…The new housing is just one of several expansion projects either”

(December 12, 2006)
University of Michigan: Police offer tips on how to avoid losing your laptop, iPod
“Year after year, students return from break to find a slashed window screen or a broken dorm room lock…Although winter recess is a particularly bad time for break-ins, this year’s Thanksgiving Break also saw an onslaught of dorm invasions. Over the four-day-long break, 16 rooms in Couzens Residence Hall and one in Alice Lloyd Hall were broken into. Luckily for students, the thieves only stole two iPods and several rolls of quarters…Ann Arbor Police Detective Sgt. Richard Kinsey also offered some tips to University students. He said students should have somebody check up regularly on their house…”

(December 8, 2006)
Jackson Community College: Dorm takes form Interest in new JCC residence hall solid
“Jackson Community College will begin taking applications Monday from students interested in living in its new three-story residence hall next fall…Campus View will feature 24 four-bedroom suites, fully furnished, complete with telephones, cable television, wireless Internet and a full kitchen. Construction is scheduled to be complete by May…The $5.8 million, 46,000-square-foot building is being financed through bonds, which will be paid off with the $425 monthly rent that students will pay, Allen said. ”

(November 20, 2006)
Baker College: Campus says study hard and sleep cheap
“Baker College of Flint is giving students with good grades a scholarship in the form of free and discounted rent in its dorms, hoping the incentive will boost the Baker system’s graduation rate, which is among the lowest in Michigan…Thought to be the first of its kind, the bonus allows students to stay in the residence halls at the private, four-year school for free if their grade point average is 3.5 or higher. ”

(November 20, 2006)
University of California, Berkley: Cal apartment shows power of green living
“Everything in the apartment in the Channing-Bowditch student complex conforms to a green lifestyle. All of the appliances are stamped with the Energy Star seal of approval, meaning they’re certified as energy efficient. And the room has been stocked with environmentally friendly products, from shampoo and soap right down to cloth napkins and natural fiber bed linens…The apartment is the latest in campus efforts to promote environmentally friendly living. Last year, the Green Room Committee — a joint effort of campus student services organizations and student groups — opened a green dorm room in Putnam Hall to show students how to easily make changes in their lives. ”

(November 18, 2006)
Oberlin College: Off-Campus Policy Sees Some Changes
“Oberlin students applying for off-campus housing will face no better odds this year compared to last year, as slightly more students are eligible for release and Residential Education expects that they will be competing for a fewer number of spots in the lottery. ..All part-time, married and/or commuter students, among some other students, are given exemptions by ResEd and not required to live on campus. Additionally, students who have lived more than seven semesters on campus are released from housing requirements first, and because this first pool of students is smaller than the number of students ResEd needs to release, all applicants with seven or more semesters are expected to be released from campus housing requirements…Conservatory junior Tom Schneider told the Review that he was aggravated not only with the housing process, but with the policies and attitudes of Oberlin’s administration in general.Of ResEd’s housing policy, Schneider said, ‘It doesn’t make any sense, because this year [admissions] enrolled too many freshmen.’ ”

(November 18, 2006)
University of Alabama: UA to get $66M residence
“Memphis-based Education Realty Trust Inc. will spend $66 million to develop a 930-bed residential community with a 1,000-car parking deck on the campus of the University of Alabama…The South Ridgecrest Residential Community, as it is called, will be the second student housing project developed by Allen & O’Hara on the Tuscaloosa campus, the first being the $31.7 million, 631-bed North Ridgecrest Residential Community. That one is scheduled to open next August. ”

(November 16, 2006)
University of Alabama: Education Realty Trust to Develop Second Community at University of Alabama
“Education Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EDR) today announced that it has received a letter of intent from the University of Alabama to begin development of a new 930-bed residential community and 1,000-car parking structure on the Tuscaloosa campus…The project, estimated to cost $66 million, is scheduled for completion by August 2008…A&O has broken ground and construction is underway on the $31.7 million, 631-bed North Ridgecrest Residential Community, which is scheduled to open in August of 2007.”

(November 14, 2006)
Purdue University: Co-ops offer Purdue students alternative housing choices
“Although the popularity of cooperative housing may be increasing in colleges across the nation, the number of Purdue students living in co-ops has remained constant…The 12 cooperative houses on Purdue’s campus are doing different things to promote this housing option, said Bymaster, a senior in the College of Agriculture…Natalie Bauer, a sophomore in the College of Liberal Arts and resident of Ann Tweedale Cooperative, said co-ops have the same social aspects of Greek housing, but they are less expensive…The cost of living in a co-op is about $300 a month, as opposed to fraternities and sororities, which charge $500 or more a month. ”

November 13, 2006)
Wofford College: Students say they enjoy living in their college apartments on campus
“Meredith Essex has the best of both worlds. Essex recently moved into the school’s new neighborhood village designed to resemble quaint, suburban homes, complete with a brick exterior and rocking chairs on their front porches. Each apartment has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and living room. Wofford commissioned Georgia architect Lew Oliver, known for his “new urbanism” plans, to design the college’s new housing option for seniors. The village project, estimated to cost about $20 million, will be completed in four phases, with the second phase of construction to start in January. A community general store, with a meeting area and laundry area, will eventually be in the center of the village…Wood said the apartments are situated close to one another to give students a chance to interact more frequently than in traditional housing…’The idea is to create ‘the best neighborhood the students will ever live in,’ Wood said.”

(November 12, 2006)
University of Central Florida: Campuses cash in on students’ urge to buy
“At UCF and elsewhere, it’s getting harder to tell the difference between the university and the mall…At UCF, many of the stores set to open in the coming weeks are attached directly to the dorms, across from a basketball arena under construction with its own set of chain stores. ‘This much impulse buying on the way to class could be hurtful,’ said Boston Russell, a 20-year-old sophomore from Longwood who is among the first living in the new dorms on the edge of a pine forest in suburban Orlando…UCF isn’t alone. Though nearby college towns with quirky health food and rare book stores have long been a staple at traditional universities, many schools are placing retail on campus and collecting rents to subsidize operations and attract students. At UCF, money from the dorms, shops and a pair of parking garages is subsidizing the 10,000-seat basketball arena.”

(August 10, 2006)
University of Maryland, Howard Univ., Catholic Univ., American Univ., Trinity College, more: Students Get New Choice for Upscale Housing
“A project three years in the making came to fruition Friday morning as representatives from around the state clipped a huge red ribbon at the opening of the Towers at University Town Center…The 20-story towers include a below ground level four-story parking garage, close to 250 units and 910 bedrooms. Students from nine colleges have signed up so far including the University of Maryland, Howard University, Catholic University, Trinity College, American University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Prince George’s Community College and Montgomery College…The apartments come in two, three and four bedroom styles. Each has personal bathrooms, common areas and modern décor.”

(August 8, 2006)
University of Wisconsin: New Dorm Offers Luxury Living
“Sporting air conditioning, large rooms, walk-in closets and high ceilings, The University of Wisconsin’s newest dormitory, Newell J. Smith Hall, is anything but ordinary when it comes to residence halls…The new design is based largely upon student feedback, according to Evans, which mostly dictated the need for more privacy, particularly with bathrooms, larger rooms and closets, better individual heat control and air conditioning…set to open for student residents in Fall 2007.”

(August 3, 2006)
CNN Money: Dorms of the Future
“In recent years a number of schools across the country, from large public universities to private institutions, have begun to rethink and revamp the current face of the college campus…Next year, Duke University will open one of the more ambitious dorm projects to date, with its SmartHouse, a 4,500 square-foot dorm operated by the its engineering school that will feature projects that its own students cooked up. Besides being incredibly energy efficient, the house will feature what it calls Smart Tap technology… the interior of the 10-person dorm will be flexible so that old technology features can be swapped out and new items introduced.”

(July 18, 2006)
University of Arkansas- Little Rock: Clock tower is a sign of new times at UALR
” The new clock tower is the most prominent feature of a $ 16. 5 million complex of campus apartments that will more than double the number of beds at UALR from 306 to 632…One thing is certain: UALR’s campus apartments won’t be your big sister’s dorm room. While the typical dorm once featured a couple of bunks and possibly a minifridge, each UALR apartment will have either two or four private bedrooms — each outfitted with a full-size bed, a telephone line, cable hookup and Internet access. The apartments also will each have a shared living area, one or two bathrooms, a washer and dryer and a full kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, microwave and a small bar for eating.”

(July 16, 2006)
University of Wisconsin-Madison: Partying out, spirituality in at future UW dorm
“As the university’s Presbyterian ministry sees it, Fortin is not alone. The ministry, known as Pres House, is spending $17 million to build a private residence hall for the university’s students of faith. The dorm, which will offer religious programming and possibly an alcohol-free environment, is among a growing number of religiously run residence halls popping up near public universities across the country…Over the past decade, the university has created half a dozen learning communities throughout its dorms to help ease the transition to campus.”

(July 12, 2006)
University of Hawaii-Manoa: New dorms coming to UH-Manoa
“The demolition of Frear Hall began this week to make way for new dorm space at the Manoa campus of the University of Hawaii. The work is expected to be completed early next week, with construction of the $61 million project slated to begin in October…They say the dorms will be student-friendly, because of private accommodations, social lounges and even a gym…But members of the student government question whether the dorms will be student-friendly. They say there is a lack of common space and most student may not be able to afford the live in the dorms. The new dorm space is expected to run about $7,000 to $9,000 per student per year, according to American Campus Communities, the Texas-based developer charged with building and managing the new dorms. Dorm students currently pay $2,817 to $5,527, according to the UH-Manoa Web site.”

(June 10, 2006)
University of South Alabama: USA moves toward new student housing construction
“New student apartments may soon grace a corner of the University of South Alabama campus, greatly increasing the on-campus housing available at the school. The USA trustees unanimously approved a resolution this week to lease 12 acres on the southwest corner of the campus at Old Shell Road and Cleverdon Parkway to the USA Research and Technology Corp., which will be responsible for overseeing construction…’The apartment-style housing is getting to be popular around the country,’ USA President Gordon Moulton said.”

(June 1, 2006)
Demand for College Dormitories Continues to Fuel Construction
“The ongoing spending boom follows the unusually large surge in enrollment from 2001-03 (523,000 students) when jobs were hard to find and college finances were strained. Finances improved markedly in the last three years. Dorm construction spending growth will eventually taper off but will still remain stronger than the total nonresidential market for the next five to six years. The projected enrollment increase in the next six years is 510,000 students, well short of the 785,000-student increase during the previous six years…Most of the market’s growth is occurring at the rapidly expanding—and very often new—colleges in the Southeast and Southwest. However, older urban colleges are also adding dorm space in an effort to combat declining enrollment that resulted from soaring apartment rents near their campuses. ”

(May 26, 2006)
Oberlin College: Students Push For All-Gender Dorms
“In 2004, the College designated Noah as what was then called a “gender-neutral” dorm, meaning that students were able to choose their roommates regardless of their sex. “All-gender” has since replaced “gender-neutral” as a more accurate term…They worked over spring break to create a series of proposals to redistribute the all-gender rooms, currently all in Noah, more evenly across campus. The College eventually accepted the group’s top choice, which will designate all-gender rooms in specific halls in Noah, East, Talcott and South. ”

(April 8, 2006)
Alabama trustees approve third dorm complex
“University of Alabama System trustees approved plans Friday for the Tuscaloosa campus to hire a private developer to build a third new dormitory complex and to issue $65 million in bonds to pay for other projects, including the second dorm complex. Trustees also agreed Friday to increase tuition and fees for medical, dental and optometry students at the University of Alabama at Birmingham by about 6 percent. In-state medical students will pay $13,566 next year, up from $12,766…”

(April 8, 2006)
Local colleges might offer dorms
“Local community college students may soon be able to taste more of the ‘college experience.’ Dutchess and Ulster county community colleges are studying the idea of building student housing on campus. UCCC President Donald Katt said the college began exploring the idea after learning from high school guidance offices it was losing students to other community colleges with dormitories. Of the 30 state community colleges, 12 already offer housing and another nine, including Dutchess and Ulster, are considering it…”

(April 6, 2006)
New residence hall to hold 857 students
“Plans for a new $55 million residence hall on campus have been completed. With some double rooms currently housing three students per room, the new six-story residence hall will help to alleviate the problem of overcrowded housing. According to Bill Sutton, vice president of University Advancement, the new building will have approximately 857 beds, although the type of room will vary. Some rooms will be junior suites, which contain four bedrooms of two beds each, all attached to a centralized living space…”

(April 6, 2006)
University of Alabama: Trustees to get plan for 3 more dorms
“UA System trustees will consider a resolution today that would allow UA officials to begin the process of selecting a developer to oversee the construction of a third new group of campus residence halls. The “Phase III” dorms, along with the new Riverside complex and the under-construction Lakeside complex, are needed to accommodate UA President Robert Witt’s plan to increase enrollment by more than 6,000 students in the coming years. Construction would include two four-story buildings to house students, a parking deck with about 750 spaces, a parking lot with about 360 spaces, an amphitheater that seats about 1,500 people and a new dining facility, according to information that will be presented to the trustees’ Physical Properties Committee.”

(March 24, 2006)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: GSC Passes Resolutions On New Residence
“As the March 31 deadline approaches for final decisions on the architectural layout of a new graduate dorm, hopes are fading for a compromise plan that will satisfy both student concerns and the constraints laid out by the MIT administration. At an emergency General Council Meeting of the GSC on Wednesday, students passed a pair of strongly worded either/or resolutions (see box on pg. 12). The vote to terminate the new construction under the current design passed 22-3-1 (for-against-abstaining), while the vote to support the construction of a residence hall that did meet student needs as evaluated by the GSC passed unanimously…There are a number of pressures on MIT to build this new graduate residence now and convert Ashdown to an undergraduate dormitory by 2008… ”

(March 23, 2006)
University of Nebraska at Kearney: UNK has new plan for residence halls
“University of Nebraska at Kearney officials still hope to have at least some new residence hall space available for students in fall 2007…Earlier this month, two bids of more than $21 million each were rejected for the project because they were about $4 million over estimates…The contract would probably require at least one hall to be open by the fall of 2007, Haack said. He hopes to have at least two of the three buildings done by then…The entire cost for the residence hall project has been set at about $23 million. That price includes such things as furniture, equipment and site preparation.”

(March 22, 2006)
Marywood University: Parking concerns may slow Marywood renovation plan
“Marywood University’s plans to renovate Marian Convent into a residence hall have hit an unlikely speed bump: parking. For 50 years, the convent had been home to the Sister Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary until it moved into a new facility in January after buying it from the order for $8 million. The university is in the midst of an estimated $15 million renovation that will turn the convent into a residence hall with students likely moving in for the fall semester.”

(March 18, 2006)
Chico State University: Student housing would be more like ‘home’
“The California State University Board of Trustees this week approved construction of a $22 million residence hall and dining facility, said Dennis Graham, Chico State vice president of business and finance. This four-story building will be unlike any of the university’s current accommodations, he said. While the proposed 70,000-square-foot building is not yet designed, the idea is to create three floors of modern, suite-style housing with common living areas, and several lavatories, for each group of six to eight students in the 171-bed facility. That’s above the first floor’s new residential dining center. “

(March 18, 2006)
Kent State University: KSU looks for salvager to help in razing dorm
“When Terrace Hall was built, words such as ``plush’’ and ``sleek’’ were used to describe it. Today ``aging’’ and ``battered’’ would be better words. Most of the 52-year-old Kent State residence hall is slated for the trash heap in April, its pieces and parts sold off to salvagers. The university is seeking a salvager to pull apart the building and sell off its glass, copper pipes, steel and even the plastic covers of its ceiling lights, plus bunks, dressers and the like that are still stored in the bedrooms. Kent State would get a percentage of the proceeds, possibly half, to offset the $800,000 cost of demolishing the building,Euclide said. This would be the first time KSU has been this environmentally conscious and so bent on recouping some of the costs of a demolition, he said.”

(March 15, 2006)
Biz buzz: Poly student housing project to begin
Cal Poly is starting construction on Poly Canyon Village on Friday with a ceremonial groundbreaking. The 2,700-bed dormitory project is the largest ever approved in the 23-campus California State University system, and it will cost an estimated $299 million. The CSU board of trustees voted to issue the bonds last spring, and the money will be paid back through student rents. Such dormitory projects are popular at universities, since housing is one of the few areas that pay for themselves. At UCLA, for example, the university owns 9,000 on-campus housing beds and 4,400 off campus.”

(March 12, 2006)
SIUE ready to begin construction of 4th residence hall
Construction will begin this spring on Evergreen Hall, the fourth residence hall to be built at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The residence hall is the latest action in a long process to transform SIUE from a commuter school to a traditional college campus where students live. The SIU board of trustees, meeting Thursday in Carbondale, gave the board’s executive committee the authority to award contracts to build the 190,000-square-foot building. The 511-bed residence hall will be located south of Bluff Hall near the southwest corner of Circle Drive and Whiteside Road.”

(March 12, 2006)
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville: SIUE ready to begin construction of 4th residence hall
“Construction will begin this spring on Evergreen Hall, the fourth residence hall to be built at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The residence hall is the latest action in a long process to transform SIUE from a commuter school to a traditional college campus where students live. The SIU board of trustees, meeting Thursday in Carbondale, gave the board’s executive committee the authority to award contracts to build the 190,000-square-foot building…The total cost of the project is estimated at $40 million and will include a multipurpose building connected to the residence hall and a 550-space parking lot.”

(March 9, 2006)
Bellarmine University: On-Campus Housing Shortage Concerns Neighbors
“But residents say that isn’t the case with several homes on Richmond Drive and a few others on several nearby on Sheffield Boulevard… The homes belong to Bellarmine University and are being used to house students who can’t fit into on-campus dorms…He says the university bought the homes with the intention of using them for overflow until new dorms can be built. ‘We don’t have room. We’re going to build a new residence hall, but you can’t do that until you have the students to put in there,’ Helm told WAVE 3 news. He says students who live in those homes must follow the same rules as students who live on campus.”

(March 8, 2006)
University of Maine: UMF opens green dorm as ‘FAB Hall’
“The new “green” residence hall that just opened at the University of Maine at Farmington is close to achieving certification by a national rating system for being environmentally responsible. Frances Allen Black Residence Hall, already nicknamed FAB Hall by students, is a $4.5 million, five-story, 102-bed building on Lincoln Street across from the UMF Health & Fitness Center.It was built by Ledgewood Construction in Portland and designed by JSA Architects of Portsmouth, N.H…’Green’ components include recycling stations on each floor; sensor lighting throughout the building; and low toxic-emitting carpet, paint and sealants. Each suite of rooms is equipped with its own climate control system and large, energy-efficient, operable windows that allow proper ventilation and promote better air quality. ”

(March 8, 2006)
Alfred University: AU to modify residency requirement for new students
“Beginning in fall 2008, juniors at Alfred University will be required to live on campus, provided the University has sufficient space to accommodate them…In increasing its residency requirement, Alfred University joins a growing list of four-year colleges and universities that have a residential requirement of more than two years…A task force appointed to evaluate the Greek system made the recommendation to increase the requirement to ‘three or possibly four years.’ In its report, the task force said, ‘It is clear that students benefit from a more structured residential environment after they leave home…. A longer residency requirement would bring students under the guidance of the Residence Life system and other caring and trained adults.’ ”

(March 8, 2006)
University of Southern Maine hopes to add a residence hall
At the beginning of last school year, Anderson Hall on the University of Southern Maine Gorham campus was one of many dorms that was literally packed with students. The doubled-up and tripled-up rooms at Anderson and other dorms could become a thing of the past if a new residence hall gets approval from the Gorham Planning Board Monday. The $21 million dorm will rise five stories and have 296 beds, suite-style rooms and wireless Internet throughout. University officials say the new residence hall will help USM increase its population of full-time students while not enlarging the overall enrollment.

(March 7, 2006)
UCSB Plans for Construction of New Residences
Four UCSB construction projects are currently in the works in an attempt to give the campus a new look and provide more housing for its growing population. The projects include the Sierra Madre Apartments, North Campus Faculty Housing, the Ocean Road faculty and family housing projects and a remodeled campus entrance off State Route 217. Before any of these projects can get underway, UCSB must obtain permission from the California Coastal Commission (CCC). Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities Management Mark Fisher said the rise in campus construction is a response to a 20-year standstill in development and a gradual increase in student growth.

(February 9, 2006)
USM seeking to build new residence hall in Portland
USM hopes to build at least one new residence hall on its Portland campus within three years, probably in the shadows of the parking garage and library on Bedford Street. The building could house more than 500 people, primarily law and other graduate students, with some short-term units for faculty and staff members. That would end a two-decade run for Portland Hall, the makeshift dormitory that was once the upscale Columbia Hotel. The building would most likely be sold when dorms open on campus.

(February 9, 2006)
SIUE residence hall project set for April
Construction of the new residence hall, which will accommodate 511 students and bring the total of students living on campus to more than 3,500, is slated to begin in April. The new residence hall would contain mostly “apartment-style” units housing upperclassmen and graduate students. The new residence hall will allow students to continue to live near the campus core. Resident upperclassmen and graduate students are currently housed in Cougar Village Apartments, just north of the core campus.

(February 6, 2006)
St. Bonaventure University: SBU announces $8 million in renovations to dining hall, residence facilities
“The plans call for an approximately 5,000-square-foot addition and renovations to Hickey Dining Hall, substantial renovations to residence halls, including Shay-Loughlen, Doyle and Francis halls, and heating and other improvements in Devereux, Robinson and Falconio halls…The work on Hickey Dining Hall and Shay-Loughlen is expected to proceed in summer 2006, with the remaining work following in 2007. ”

(December 16, 2005)
Valdosta State University: New Initiative to Create Student Residence Hall of the Future – Valdosta State University representative part of 21st Century Project
“It’s no longer enough for a college residence hall to just provide four walls and a bed. The campus housing of today must foster learning and comfort while balancing environmental and technological concerns and do so in a way that’s affordable to both the school and the students. A group of experts, including Rob Kellner, director of Auxiliary Services at Valdosta State University, are convening at a summit in Chicago, February 5-8, 2006, to design the next generation of college residence halls, as part of the 21st Century Project….The modern prototype will show how to better accommodate the ever-changing role residence halls play in the collegiate experience and in higher education institutions. ”

(December 16, 2005)
University of Arkansa: Trustees accept choices for UA dorm project
“A $ 50. 4 million residence hall project for the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville received a final green light from trustees….UA administrators have said the 215, 000-square-foot complex is necessary to help them meet enrollment goals set forth in their plan for the year 2010….The University of Arkansas System plans to lobby trustees in January to approve a bond issue to fund the project, scheduled to open to students by 2007. ”

(December 16, 2005)
University of Toledo: UT’s decision to close dorms stuns students
“University leaders, via letter Monday night, notified students in Dowd, Nash, and White halls that most of them will be placed into new residence halls – where some rooms have partial or full openings – when they return after the holiday break. In turn, officials temporarily will close two of the halls and part of a third to save money, including utility costs….Officials acknowledge the timing was unfortunate, but it was necessary now because leaders are just learning the status of occupancy rates for spring semester.”

(December 8, 2005)
University of Western Ontario: London Hall naming marks close city ties
“The new $28-million residence located on Western Road south of Essex Hall will be named London Hall in honour of the City of London and its longstanding ties to Western. With 416 spaces for upper-year students, the ‘suite-style’ residence is set to open September 2006. ‘We are proud of our strong ties with the City of London and we believe our ongoing partnership sets an example for other municipalities to follow,’ says Western President Paul Davenport. ”

(December 8, 2005)
Columbia University: New Dorm to Open for Barnard Profs
“In January, Barnard is opening housing for its faculty members for the first time ever. By next fall, these professors and their families will be joined by 91 students who will live with them in Barnard’s first shared faculty-student residence hall….Floors seven to 10 of the 10-story building are to be strictly faculty floors, but the rest of the Barnard wing will be shared by students and faculty come next fall, including a common area and terrace at the top of the building….All the apartments boast hardwood floors, modern windows, living rooms, air-conditioning, and galley kitchens with dishwashers….Aversa said some student bedrooms will actually share walls with faculty bedrooms on floors two through six.”

(December 7, 2005)
University of Hawai’i-Manoa: UH advances makeover of Manoa dorms
“The University of Hawai’i-Manoa is moving ahead with plans to develop new student housing after Interim Chancellor Denise Konan last week signed off on an agreement to begin the design process….If UH determines American Campus Communities’ plan is feasible, UH officials said the private developer and the university will move on to development and construction. The first new student residence hall at the Manoa campus is targeted to open in fall 2008.”

(December 2, 2005)
Belmont University: Sciences building, new dormitory signs of Belmont’s growth
“A ceremony celebrating the “topping out” of the new $17 million Thrailkill Hall residence building was held recently. The new $22 million Gordon E. Inman Health Sciences Building was topped out in October. Both buildings are scheduled for completion in August 2006….Thrailkill will provide living space for 322 students and increase on-campus parking by 400 spaces….The new building will have many features outside of a regular classroom setting, she said. One of those will be a lab set in an 1,800-square-foot apartment, equipped with a residential bed, sofa, love seat, coffee table and other furniture. ”

(December 1, 2005)
Ohio University: OU Trustees moving forward on plans for new residence hall
“The new residence hall will be a 350-bedroom facility built near Nelson Commons on the South Green. The residence hall is expected to cost $24 million and open by the fall of 2007, according to the agenda packet. The packet also states that the residence hall will not give the university an increase in residence hall space, but will allow the university to close residence halls for renovation and move the students who would have been in those dorms into the new one. The board packet states that OU will need to have more bed space on campus in coming years in order to meet an increase in enrollment. ”

(December 1, 2005)
Towson University: Caret puts plan for new dorm into motion
“In the fall of 2008, Towson University hopes to cut the ribbon on a new residence hall near Millennium Hall….Caret said the building may include apartments as well as dormitory-style rooms….Towson wants 500 to 600 new beds to be available for students in the fall of 2008 [If or when the system approves the plan, the University will issue an RFP for an architect to begin designing the building. Towson could enter into a public/private partnership for the construction or management of the building. The details of such an arrangement haven’t been established.”

(December 2005)
City College of New York: Construction Begins On First Residence Hall Built On Campus In CCNY’s 158-Year History
” The 180,000 square-foot facility, which will rise on the south east corner of the campus at St. Nicholas Terrace and West 130th Street, will provide accommodations for approximately 600 students and include a limited number of apartments for faculty. It is scheduled for completion in August 2006, in time for the Fall 2006 semester….The residence hall will consist of 164 fully furnished, air-conditioned apartments in four configurations: studio, one bedroom, two bedroom and four bedroom. All units will have kitchen facilities including a cook-top, microwave, full-size refrigerator, sink, cabinets and counter top space.”

(November 30, 2005)
Bryan College: Bryan College Breaks Ground For New Residence Hall
“Hundreds of students, faculty, staff and friends witnessed the breaking of new ground for a new residence hall at Bryan College….According to the announcement by Bryan, construction of the 120-bed residence hall is scheduled to begin in December after students leave for their Christmas break….Once the building is “in the dry,” work can continue around the clock if necessary to meet the target of having the building ready for occupancy when students return in August for the 2006-07 academic year.”

(November 29, 2005)
Highpoint University: University counting its blessings one by one
“Plans for the $10 million dormitory, which will have 240 private bedrooms, were announced Sept. 13, but financing details weren’t revealed. The dorm is under construction and should be completed for the 2006-07 school year. It hasn’t been decided if the dormitory will be for boys or girls or co-educational, said Kay Meekins, director of communications….The university is on a mission to raise $100 million and rebuild its campus within five years….Seven new buildings and two stadiums are under construction, and 10 are being renovated, Meekins said. ”

(November 23, 2005)
University of Michigan: Dorm plan stirs parking fears
“The town-gown issue is heating up again as U-M gets ready to build its first new residence hall in 30 years, a new dorm-classroom building that will bring 500 students to Huron and State streets, on the edge of the main U-M campus, near downtown….The site of the residence hall, which also will have significant academic space, is the Frieze Building, the former Ann Arbor High School that the university purchased in the 1950s.”

(November 23, 2005)
Mississippi University for Women: MUW to open first ‘co-residential’ dorm
“Times are changing at Mississippi University for Women as the school opens its first “co-residential” dorm for women and a few good men….As part of a move to cut expenses and improve accommodations, Kincannon will house 160 women and 25 men on separate floors starting in August. The residence hall for freshmen will have 11 staff members living there, 24-hour personnel at the front desk and card access to get in.”

(November 23, 2005)
Michigan State University: Feedback from axed plan used for University Village project
“Student input received for the canceled Brody Complex construction project was a factor in recent planning for the University Village redevelopment….The Brody project, announced in September 2004, involved plans to create a seventh residence hall in the Brody Complex. It was planned to feature apartment-style rooms for 300 students….University Village — which currently houses graduate and international students, and their families — will be replaced with 300 luxury undergraduate apartments, as originally planned for the Brody Complex. The village housing would have been removed at some point within the next few years because of the high maintenance costs no matter what was planned concerning the Brody project, Brown said.”

(November 20, 2005)
Purdue University: New residences to replace recently lost housing
“A new upperclassman residence hall will be built to compensate for the space that has been lost at Young Hall, Cary Quadrangle and parts of Purdue Village….The facility will include approximately 560 single-student rooms with private bathrooms. The rooms, which will be arranged into clusters of 10 or 12, will partially replace bed space lost to other campus construction projects….The construction is set to begin in September 2006 and is scheduled to be completed in 2008.”

(November 2005)
Pacific University: New residence hall follows latest campus living trends
“Pacific’s new residence hall, scheduled for construction this fall, will follow this theory. Planned to hold nearly 170 students, the new residence hall will fill several needs, including allowing more students to be able to live on campus….[T]he building combines apartment style living, ideal for upperclassmen, with suites, which are geared for sophomores….Providing a space where students are able to create community can be a determining factor in whether a student returns the following semester. ‘Now we know community is something one tries to orchestrate where students can reach their potential, learn where to risk, and where to find safety in academics and personal life,’ said Krebs.”

(July 6, 2005)
University of Texas-Pan American: New dormitory set for construction in August 2005
“The University of Texas-Pan American is preparing to start construction on its latest project this fall – the new 108,965 square-foot dormitory – set to open in August 2006….No student fees will be affected by this new addition to the campus; The University of Texas System Revenue Finance Bonds will fund the $12.5 million building. Smith said the only fees affected will be dorm fees, which will maintain and pay for the facility….Smith said the residence hall will consist of 400 beds in 200 rooms and will be three-stories high with two wings joined by a 5,000-square-foot commons area. ”