The University has selected a potential campus site for a seventh residential college, which will accommodate a planned increase of 125 students in each undergraduate class. The site is located south of Poe Field and east of Elm Drive.
"One of the attractions of the proposed site for the new residential college is its proximity to Butler, Wilson and Whitman colleges," Assistant Vice President for Communications Daniel Day wrote in an email. "The purpose of the new college is to accommodate the 10 percent growth in the size of the undergraduate student body that the trustees approved last year. Before we can admit additional students, we need to build a new residential college, and a first step toward doing that is deciding where it will be located."
In a press release sent out by the Office of Communications this afternoon, University President Christopher L. Eisgruber '83 said that the site had been determined after “extensive assessments and consultations with multiple constituencies.” He also noted that there is more work to be done and consultations to be completed before a final decision may be made made on the new college’s site, and he welcomed input from members of the campus, town, and alumni communities.
The creation of a new residential college on the site would require relocation of outdoor athletic facilities used by the softball and tennis teams. The campus planning team is working with the Department of Athletics to create new facilities for these sports on University lands south of Lake Carnegie.
A potential location was also determined for an eighth residential college, if needed in the future. This site is located near Butler, Wilson, and Whitman colleges, on the south side of the open area known as the "ellipse."
Preparations for the creation of a new residential college began in July 2014 as part of a campus planning process designed to produce a framework for University land use in the next 10 years. The planning process also focused on anticipating potential needs and developments in the University structure over the next 30 years, including taking input from students, faculty, staff, alumni, community groups, and local, regional, and state officials. The completed framework is expected to be made available to the public in the fall of 2017.
Those looking for more information about the planning process and to ask questions or provide feedback may visit the University’s campus plan website or blog.
