Download a larger version of the site plan.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ñ The undergraduate experience at Vanderbilt
University will undergo its most significant transformation in a
generation as construction begins on College Halls at Vanderbilt, a
residential college system designed to create the most vibrant living
and learning environment in higher education.
College Halls at Vanderbilt will bring together students, faculty and
staff in smaller, community settings within the larger university.
Select faculty will live in apartments located in the college halls
where students will live in a more intimate residential setting than
the traditional college dormitory. Each college hall will feature
student-driven programming designed to promote intellectual exchange
and leadership development. Areas for dining, study and informal
gathering will enhance the living-learning
atmosphere.
“Vanderbilt is already a stellar place for undergraduates. Our students
have unparalleled opportunities in the classroom and through their
social lives. Our challenge now is to stitch together this rich
tapestry to meet the needs of the students of the future. College Halls
at Vanderbilt will do that,” said Vanderbilt University Chancellor
Gordon Gee.
“The evolving nature of Vanderbilt students ñ each entering class has
increasingly higher levels of academic achievement and is more
racially, culturally and socio-economically diverse than ever before ñ
demands that we provide them with a sense of belonging and community.”
“Our students need and expect regular interaction with faculty and each
other in order to build the community, character and leadership that we
foster here at Vanderbilt,” said Nicholas S. Zeppos, provost and vice
chancellor for academic affairs.
The first phase of College Halls at Vanderbilt, which will be known as
The Commons, will bring together all first-year students in a community
of 10 residence halls to be known as “houses” located on the Peabody
College campus. Five existing residence halls will be converted to
houses and five new houses will be built. A tenured faculty member will
serve as dean of The Commons and each house will be managed by a
faculty member or student life professional in residence.
“The College Halls initiative is so important for Vanderbilt,” said
Martha Ingram, chairman of the Board of Trust. “Creating the Commons,
which will be a cohesive, nurturing, challenging community for the
talented women and men who come to Vanderbilt, has to be our highest
priority.”
Construction of The Commons began this spring. Renovations to the
existing buildings are scheduled to be finished by fall 2007. The
Commons is expected to be complete by fall 2008.
The Commons represents a $150 million investment by the university with
the funds coming primarily from bond proceeds, philanthropy and
internal sources.
Currently, Vanderbilt‘s first-year students live in three areas across
campus. University officials believe The Commons‘ neighborhood
atmosphere will foster closer ties among first-year students.
“First-year students are trying to figure out where they fit in a
university community. We believe the active engagement with their
peers, early informal interactions with faculty, their partnerships
with student life professionals and social and academic programs
offered at The Commons will go a long way in establishing friendships
and a foundation for learning that will last during their time here at
Vanderbilt and throughout their lives,” said David Williams, vice
chancellor for student life and university affairs.
Once The Commons is complete, university officials will develop plans
to build up to seven college halls for upperclassmen. Each college hall
will house approximately 400 students representing a cross-section from
each of Vanderbilt‘s four undergraduate schools ñ Blair School of
Music, College of Arts and Science, School of Engineering and Peabody
College of education and human development.
The Commons also represents Vanderbilt‘s largest construction project
on the Peabody campus since the university merged with the formerly
independent teacher‘s college in 1979. Officials hope that the
initial investment of $150 million in housing, dining and support
services will improve services and spur private development on the far
eastern edge of the campus, which adjoins the Edgehill and Music Row
neighborhoods.
The term college hall has significance in Vanderbilt‘s history.
Kirkland Hall, which currently houses the university‘s administration,
was the only campus building when Vanderbilt first opened its doors in
1875. The building has had several names over the years ñ including
College Hall from about 1905 until 1937, when the building was named
for James T. Kirkland, Vanderbilt‘s second chancellor and longest
serving chancellor in the university‘s history.
For more information about College Halls at Vanderbilt, visit www.vanderbilt.edu/collegehalls.
For more news about Vanderbilt, visit the News Service homepage at www.vanderbilt.edu/news.
Media contact: Princine Lewis, (615) 322-NEWS
princine.lewis@vanderbilt.edu