Capital Initiatives

• Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts and Education Complex
• The Colonnade at the U of U
• Huntsman Cancer Hospital Phase II-B
• New Media Wing in the College of Fine Arts
• College of Nursing Building Renovation
• College of Pharmacy
• College of Science
• Student Housing
• Student Life Center
• The James L. Sorenson Molecular Biotechnology Building - USTAR
• Utah Museum of Natural History at the Rio Tinto Center

Student Housing

There is a growing demand from parents and students for a new kind of education that has higher expectations. Many employers are calling for a practical education that increases students’ capacities for dealing with a rapidly changing world. They emphasize teamwork and collaboration and developing problem-solving skills rather than memorization and accumulation of facts that will soon become obsolete. Often referred to as “lifelong learning” or “deep learning,” these capacities have become imperative in our rapidly changing society. To support and enhance deep learning, the proposed student housing will be a transformative experience for freshman Honors students. A sense of community is a critical factor not only for academic achievement but also impacts the overall satisfaction of the college experience.

Buildings will be organized around interior courtyards internal to the site. These “outdoor rooms” will underscore the sense of community with common intimate spaces that are comfortable, are well connected to the larger campus complex and provide opportunities for social interaction and intellectual exchange by student residents. The buildings will be “Healthy Living Communities” and will offer a safe, secure, healthy environment for the students.

Proximity to the Fort Douglas TRAX will be a major benefit to students who work downtown or at other locations off campus. Direct connections via pedestrian and bicycle paths will be provided to connect the housing to the TRAX Station. The halls will also be the most visible student housing on campus.

This project will consist of two apartment buildings built contiguous to each other for a total of approximately 136,000 gross square feet. One of the facilities will provide space for administrative offices as well as multi-purpose space for special activities and meetings, a central desk and mailing center, convenience store/café, estimated at 26,000 square feet. Honors Halls will be located in the heart of campus, near the new Student Life Center, intramural fields, and the new outdoor track with ample green space.

Serious consideration is being given to establish this housing facility as “Green Housing” meaning that no cars or parking will be encouraged. We envision this new complex as a place where our students can live sustainably, cooperatively in a community that is diverse, stimulating, and provides a healthy environment.

Benefits to Students

• Opportunity to interact with other Honors students and receive mentoring from experienced Honors students
• Balance between academic focus and campus involvement
• Student-to-student staff (RA) ratio is low
• Staff sensitive to high demands placed on Honors students
• Residents will develop lifelong friendships
• Healthy living
• Safe, secure and same sex living

Need

Over the past three years, occupancy rates for the undergraduate halls have continued to increase. In 2008 long waiting lists were developed early in the summer and continued through the fall opening of classes. Students were placed in temporary housing until permanent assignments could be identified through attrition. The waiting list for fall 2008 exceeded 400 at one point at the beginning of June. The addition of new beds into the housing system will enable the university to meet the housing needs of more entering students whose enrollment far exceeds the availability of space.

Housing Location

Located at the corner of Mario Capecchi Drive and South Campus Drive, the old Annex site is a strategically important area of campus. It is currently occupied by the Annex and Parking Lot 22. The Annex was built in 1942 as temporary facilities for administrative functions. It was acquired in 1948 to house the School of Business, History Department and Political Science Department. Today the Annex is home to Aerospace Studies, Continuing Education, the English Language Institute, the Matheson Center for Health Care Studies, the Center for Mine Land Development, Purchasing and Commuter Services Department, the Office of Sustainability and the Air Force ROTC.