Lipscomb's most modern residence hall to open in fall 2017
Janel Shoun-Smith |
New complex offers off-campus independence with on-campus convenience
Fall semester 2017 will bring the debut of Lipscomb University’s most modern--and most private--style of on-campus living with the opening of the Village II, a $15 million, 172-bed facility with a private bathroom for every two-person room.
The reservation period for a spot in the new 55,000-square-foot facility, more akin to a hotel than a traditional on-campus residence hall, starts Feb. 21 and continues through Feb. 24.
As Lipscomb’s enrollment has increased, the demand among students for housing providing the privacy of off-campus living with the convenience of on-campus life has become stronger, said Sam Smith, dean of student life.
“Housing directors across the nation are finding that many of today’s college students come in with expectations for a more modern, private dwelling space with amenities that haven’t traditionally been offered in the past,” said Smith. “The Village II will be a living environment defined by the independence of living off-campus but maintaining all the conveniences of living on-campus, including a flexible meal plan option similar to the current Village apartments.”
To ensure that “off-campus” experience for students, the university is providing a designated parking area for all senior Village II residents.
“This new building has been designed specifically with our upperclassmen students in mind,” Smith said. “Residents in Village II will have great parking spaces to choose from, convenience to all class locations and easy access to all campus resources, allowing them to study late at night and wake up 10 minutes before a morning class, as students often do.”
The building will include other amenities specifically designed for the Village II residents: multiple study rooms, a classroom, an outdoor terrace and a common kitchen.
The Village II will have open visitation similar to the current Village apartments, between 10 a.m. and 1 a.m. every day. The original Village offers apartment-style living for juniors and seniors, with semi-private bathrooms for up to eight students in one suite.
The Village II will be of particular advantage to students who crave the apartment-style living of the Village, but are not a part of a group of eight students able to reserve an apartment together, said Smith.
The Village II is the latest project in five years of continual improvement to Lipscomb’s residence halls and is the single largest investment in residential construction in the university’s history.
The existing residence halls, Sewell, High Rise, Elam, Johnson and Fanning, offer two-person rooms with common bathrooms on each floor or eight-person suites with common bathrooms in each suite. Since 2011, the university has renovated or completely rebuilt every residence hall except Sewell Hall, which is slated for future renovation.
Village II is the working title of the facility, currently under construction just north of the existing Village housing complex. The Office of Student Life asked students to submit ideas for naming the new building and received many submissions. The official name of the building will be announced during the spring semester.
“This project communicates loud and clear that we want our upperclassmen students to live on campus,” Smith said. “We believe the on-campus living experience is much richer when our upperclassmen live on campus and exemplify the life of a scholar in the midst of our Christian community. Students understand that living on campus saves time which allows them to dedicate more efforts to studying, internships and job opportunities.”
To make reservations or to get more information, contact Andrea Breland at andrea.breland [at] lipscomb.edu.