When college students embark in a mass migration from their family homes to campuses nationwide, they hope to find welcoming spaces that foster connections and build relationships. For many, this experience is grounded in the community of on-campus housing.
However, many institutions struggle to house their enrolled students and understand the impact this has on the student experience. A lack of physical proximity limits the depth of discovery, education and emotional growth an on-campus experience can offer.
In response, many institutions are endeavoring to bring more students onto campus, with many developing on-campus residences for the first time. This is a complex undertaking that involves creating a residential life infrastructure, forecasting demand, determining financing and delivery models, and selecting a site. Choosing a qualified consultant team with expertise in finance, design, team management, relationship building and an understanding of academic programming is critical to ensure success and mitigate the risks.
Significant missteps in any of these areas can be financially damaging and time consuming. However, when managed well, on-campus housing can go beyond just meeting demand and offer the university an opportunity to reimagine its future and pursue strategic goals. Focusing on three key objectives can go a long way toward ensuring a successful first residence hall.
Engage students, faculty and community stakeholders in an authentic co-creation process
Involving the campus community through a co-creation process ensures that student voices join leadership and faculty voices to shape the design, significantly increasing the likelihood of a successful outcome. As Dr. William Franklin, vice president for student affairs at California State University Dominguez Hills likes to say: “If you do it to me, for me, without me or against me, I will oppose you. If you do it with me, I will support you.”
Listening sessions and feedback forums can illuminate specific needs and address blind spots. Engaging students provides valuable insight into their diverse lifestyles, expectations and preferences — ranging from academic and social priorities to the importance of spaces that promote well-being and community.
Leverage new student housing investment to further multiple strategic goals
Adding student housing can be a means to achieve the long-term strategic goals of an institution, such as elevating research activity, increasing fundraising and redefining the school’s identity.
At the University of Massachusetts Boston, creating on-campus student housing for the first time allowed it to compete with other Tier 2 research universities. At the University of Southern Maine (USM), new campus housing inspired “optimism and confidence” from the school’s donor community: “Donors view USM as an institution on the rise, with many saying they’ve never witnessed a project transform a place so completely,” says Corey Hascall, president & CEO of the USM Foundation.
At the New England Institute of Technology (NEIT), new on-campus housing expanded the school’s reach beyond its base of adult learners who commuted to campus. As demographics and employment patterns changed, NEIT recognized the importance of providing a robust student life experience to appeal to younger students and those from farther afield.
In response, NEIT developed on-campus residential communities with dining and student activity spaces. Their first residence hall offers neighborhood living environments, study areas and social spaces to foster community and connection.
The residences quickly achieved high occupancy and attracted students from greater distances. Alan Resnick, NEIT’s vice president for strategic planning, reflects: “The new residence hall was an immediate hit, [and] most importantly, our students are now benefiting from enhanced life experiences.”
Create benefit beyond the institution
In addition to enhancing student experiences and achieving institutional priorities, first-time student housing projects can bring long-lasting benefits for the larger community.
In 1989, Emerson College — then located in Boston’s Back Bay — explored selling its downtown campus and relocating north of the city. After consulting with knowledgeable advisors, the college determined that remaining in Boston better suited its focus on communication, arts and media. In a fortunate pivot, Emerson sold its Back Bay real estate, passed on the suburban relocation and bought several parcels in Boston’s storied Theater District — a part of the city that was ripe for transformation.
In 2006 Emerson opened its first new residence hall at the edge of its new downtown campus. The influx of students sparked a transformation in the area that continued over the next decade. The historic Paramount Theater was renovated in 2010 with a 260-bed residence hall added above it. The Two Boylston Place residence hall followed in 2017, adding 375 beds. In 2019, the college completed a major renovation and historic preservation of the renowned ‘Little Building,’ accommodating an additional 1,000 students.
The strategy to consolidate Emerson’s academic programs in the Theater District — already home to the performing arts spaces the college needed — proved transformative. Integrating students into a living–learning model not only bolstered the college’s reputation and standing, but also revitalized a neglected neighborhood turning it into a vibrant arts district and preserving some of the nation’s finest examples of late nineteenth and early twentieth century architecture.
Similarly, USM believed in erasing boundaries between the school and neighboring communities. “The addition of housing to the Portland Campus has added a vibrancy to our campus and opportunities to engage students in our community in different ways”, says Dr. Jacqueline Edmondson, president of the University of Southern Maine. “We have neighbors who are excited to have students living on campus and supportive of our new residential focus.”
Better academic and social outcomes for students, reinforced strategic priorities for the institution and tangible and intangible benefits for host communities are the three hallmarks of successful first-time on-campus student housing projects. In an era where technological, social and environmental changes are accelerating, bringing students onto campus where they are close to learning spaces, art and cultural venues, recreational and entertainment activities and — most importantly — to each other opens up exciting possibilities for fostering better learning, shaping better citizens, and building a better community.
—John H. Martin is a principal at Elkus Manfredi Architects. He is an advisor to several higher-education institutions on how to best transition and evolve their campus experience for students and faculty.