New residence hall to open in August

For A&M-Commerce students arriving back on campus for the Spring 2011 semester, the structure that has begun to take shape at the corner of Culver and Highway 50 may be a surprise.

The building is the newest residence hall, which will be set aside for freshmen students. It is on schedule to be open by Aug. 1.

"The construction crew has worked through the snow, on Saturdays," Interim Director of Residential Living and Learning Dennis Koch said of the two-story building. "They've done a good job. We're on track and under budget, which is a great thing to be able to say."

The residence hall is part of A&M-Commerce's plan to increase the number of students who live on campus, as reported by The East Texan last semester.

"We are very excited about the construction of our new residence hall because it symbolizes the university's commitment to increasing our on-campus student population and [is] the first phase of our student housing plan," Vice President for Student Access and Success Dr. Mary Hendrix said.

Increases in on-campus housing are crucial to campus spirit and the local economy, according to Hendrix.

"New residence halls will assist us in becoming the first-choice university for many students in our region," Hendrix said. "We know from our research that those students who live on campus are more likely to stay with us and complete their degrees. Increasing our on-campus population also improves the quality of life in Commerce because we will have a critical mass that will support economic development."

The university recently received approval to begin planning for a second residence hall, which would have approximately 500 beds. The location of this new building is still unknown, although Koch hopes to have a designated location by the end of January. There is no timetable for the new building as of yet. The new building will be 90 percent freshmen, according to Koch.

"Because incoming freshmen are required to live on campus, and because our two most recent residence halls, Prairie Crossing and New Pride, were designated for upperclassmen, it is time for the freshmen to have their turn," Koch said.

According to Koch, both faculty and students are eagerly awaiting the opening of the new residence hall.

"Everyone is on pins and needles waiting for the hall to open," he said. "It's going to set the standard for everything else that we are building."

Students and faculty can watch the progress on the residence hall live via a webcam on A&M-Commerce's website at www.tamu-commerce.edu/live.

Koch mentioned plans for other possible construction, including an outdoor renovation of New Pride, updating the sewer lines at Berry Hall and a renovation of Smith Hall in the next 3-5 years.

According to Executive Director of Facilities & Support Services David McKenna, A&M-Commerce is also planning to expand the cafeteria in the Sam Rayburn Student Center, although the project is still in its beginning stages.