Second new residence hall planned

With approximately 83 percent of A&M-Commerce's students living off campus, the university has gained a reputation as a commuter school. Even if more students wanted to live on campus, with current housing structure the university can only house close to 2,000 students.

But that is a fact that A&M-Commerce President Dan Jones wants to change.

"A vibrant living and learning community is a marquee trait of a thriving university," Jones said. "I think you'll see a new spirit of enthusiasm on campus this year from having such a large freshman and sophomore class. That excitement can't help but rub off on the rest of our students. That sense of friendship, common purpose and thrill of being part of something special will build on itself, create a need for more new residence halls and help establish a dynamic campus that will be the envy of the region. Not only will an established community aid in recruiting, it will enrich the legacy of our university and be a source of pride for students and alumni."

In order to meet Jones's vision of a residential campus, the university is preparing to construct a new 258-bed residence hall by fall 2011 and another one by fall 2012. The second hall's location will hopefully be determined by Thanksgiving in order for planning to begin in January 2011 and construction in summer 2011. The second hall will potentially house anywhere from 400 to 600 students.

"As we were looking at the growth of the campus, we really wanted to expand campus housing," Dean of Campus Life and Student Development Brian Nichols said. "A lot of that has to do with campus life and all the things we can do with a larger residential population."

A&M-Commerce has been looking to enhance students' college experience for the better part of a decade now.

"One of the things I heard from students when I got here was that they weren't having the same college experiences as their friends," Nichols said. "When I asked them about those comments, I realized what they were talking about was campus life."

With the additions of the Morris Recreation Center, the Sam Rayburn Memorial Student Center, New Pride Apartments and now the new residence halls, the university is focused on providing top-notch facilities.

"We want to be on the cutting edge," Nichols said. "We want to give our students the best facilities possible."

According to Interim Director of Residential Living and Learning Dennis Koch, living on campus is better for students.

"It helps a student's focus and it gives them the opportunity to make connections and network," Koch said. "When you get into the workforce, it's not as much about what you know as who you know, and if you've been isolated your entire collegiate career, you wouldn't have learned how to network. That's not to say that you wouldn't be able to find those connections if you lived off-campus, but it would be more difficult."