Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Residence Life

  • By Deborah P. Moore
  • 05/01/14

Change is inevitable… and necessary. Without it we fail to move forward. Higher education is not exempt from the need for change, if for no other reason than to respond to societal and economic trends, or the ever-changing needs and expectations of today’s student. It is not only pedagogy or program, but also the design of many campus buildings. One area where we have seen considerable change is in residence halls and the students who live therein! Here are just a few comparisons worth mentioning.

PRICE. A newspaper article on “dorm life” in 1936 at Eastern Kentucky State Teachers College will help to put things in perspective. Back then, instructional fees were $27 for an 18-week semester. Necessary expenses were a post office box rental for 50 cents and a $5 incidental fee, which included library usage and admittance to athletic and cultural programs. Dormitory room rental ranged from $18 to $45 per semester depending on location, furnishings and number of roommates. Rooms were inspected weekly, and there was a $3 deposit to guarantee proper care of the room and the furnishings. Amenities included “heated by steam heat and lighted by electricity,” with hot and cold running water. According to the latest College Board Report on the trends in college pricing, the average published charges for undergraduates at a four-year public institution in 2013-14 were $8,893 for in-state tuition and fees, $22,203 for out-of-state tuition and fees, plus an additional $9,498 for room and board.

HOUSE RULES. A New York Times article on Education Life speaks to the changes we have seen in house rules. A 1960s women’s dormitory handbook talked about dorm hours (11 P.M. lights out and bed checks); permission to visit home (signing out with the housemother and paying her for a two-cent postcard to notify your parents); social standards, poise and good manners (for example, by standing when an older person enters the room or approaches to speak); and personal appearance (shorts may not be worn on campus except for P.E. classes). A 2012 residence contract spoke to the possession of weapons on campus; consumption, possession or use of alcohol; personal safety (including walking on roofs or ledges); and gender equity halls.

Residence halls have evolved from basic spaces to fully furnished homes away from home. On today’s campus, quality, safety and residence life programs offered play a huge role in recruiting and retaining students. To find out more about the changes happening in residence halls, turn to page 20, where you will find Living on Campus, our 13th annual survey on residence hall construction.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Photo credit: Elkus Manfredi Architects

    University of Virginia Selects Design-Build Team for New Residential Complex

    The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., recently announced that it has selected a design-build team for a new upper-class residential development on campus, according to a news release. Capstone Development Partners—in partnership with Elkus Manfredi Architects and the Hoar Construction/Hourigan construction team—will move forward with the three-building, 310,000-square-foot housing facility.

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.

  • Niles West High School Natatorium Renovation

    Natatoriums are highly specialized spaces, and luminaires in this setting face several unique challenges. Perhaps the most significant is corrosion, which is exacerbated by high indoor humidity, condensation, and pool chemicals, often resulting in material degradation in luminaires not certified to perform in corrosive environments.