The Changing Face of Campus: Seventh in a Series
With approval from the Brown Corporation, University officials are beginning to move forward on a proposal to build a new undergraduate residence hall in an effort to entice more juniors and seniors to live on campus.
The Division of Campus Life and Student Services and the Undergraduate Council of Students will begin researching what students are looking for in dorms - a process that will ultimately culminate in the construction of a new residence hall. But it is not yet clear where or when a new dorm might be built.
Currently, about 80 percent of undergraduates live in University housing. In comparison, Princeton and Yale universities house approximately 90 percent of their undergraduates, according to Russell Carey '91 MA'06, interim vice president for campus life and student services.
"We want to bring students back on campus," Carey said. "This has definitely emerged as a higher priority over the past year."
Carey said the administration's goal in building a new residence hall is to increase the percentage of students living on campus to 90 percent by making on-campus housing more attractive to upperclassmen who would otherwise choose to move off campus.
In the past, the University has built new dorms or acquired existing buildings to increase on-campus housing capacity. Vartan Gregorian Quadrangle was built in 1991, and Minden Hall was purchased from Johnson and Wales University in 2002.
As no nearby buildings are available for purchase and conversion to a residence hall, the only current option for increasing the on-campus housing capacity is to build a new dorm, Carey said, adding that administrators will use this opportunity to plan for apartment- and suite-style living that will appeal to upperclassmen.
Even though building a new dorm is now a high priority, the planning process is still in the early stages. "We're talking about years," Carey said. "We first need to have a financial plan that's responsible and achievable."
In conjunction with UCS, Carey said he plans to lead student focus groups and consult with Residential Council, the Office of Residential Life and leaders of program houses to learn what students want from on-campus housing.
Brian Becker '09, chair of the UCS Campus Life Committee, said he looks forward to discussing housing changes with students. He said he hopes that better on-campus housing will help engender a sense of campus community that includes upperclassmen.
"The needs and tastes of students have changed," Becker said. "As on-campus housing becomes more attractive, more seniors will want to stay."
Becker said an increase in the number of seniors living in University housing would enrich social and extracurricular activities on campus. "When upperclassmen move away, it leaves sophomores and freshmen to be leaders when really more experienced students should be leading," Becker said.
Becker and Carey both said they expect that a rise in the number of on-campus apartments and suites will lead to an increase in the number of upperclassmen who wish to remain on campus and, thus, to a stronger sense of community.
"(Better housing options) will fix the problem," Becker said.
According to Nick Bauer '07, who lives off campus on Governor Street, better housing means better kitchen space, common rooms, lighting and privacy.
"One of my major dissatisfactions with on-campus living was the use of space. There's very little usable kitchen space, and what space there is isn't very warm. Social space is limited," Bauer said, adding that he decided to move off campus so he could have his own room, a lounge and a kitchen.
"On campus, you sacrifice either social space or private living space," Bauer said. He described Governor Street and the surrounding area as a "major student nexus" inhabited by many seniors.
"I do feel a lot less in touch with what's happening on campus, but I feel more connected to people in my year," Bauer said. He added that it would be nice to feel more like a part of the Brown community, as he said his only current connection to campus is Morning Mail.
Seniors living in dorms, such as Winnie Kwan '07, say they find staying in touch with the community easier. Kwan, who lives in Young Orchard Apartments, said her location is a "good balance" because she is able to live near other seniors who live off campus while experiencing the convenience of on-campus housing.
"I'm still very connected with seniors in that community," Kwan said. She said she also maintains her ties to campus life without difficulty.
Carey and Becker said they hope a new residence hall will provide upperclassmen with an experience similar to Kwan's. But current undergraduates will not have access to the new construction.
"People want to know where it's going to be, what it's going to look like," Carey said. "We're a long way from that."
ADVERTISEMENT
