Students to live and learn in new honors community
Sarah Campbell
Issue date: 10/20/08 Section: News
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The community will be comprised of three residential buildings and an honors classroom.
"I think they're a good idea," Scott Dunkin, an honors sophomore computer science technology major from West Memphis, said. "Any new housing is a good idea."
Non-honors students agree with Dunkin.
"The campus does need more housing, so moving honors students to their own housing facility would make more room for non-honors students in on-campus residence halls," Ashley Kitchens, a non-honors sophomore chemistry major from West Memphis, said.
Gil Fowler, associate dean of the Honors College, said about 450 students are currently classified as honors.
Rebecca Oliver, director of student services for the Honors College, said the complex will house 222 honors students.
There will be 88 single bedrooms reserved for upperclassmen, who will share bathrooms. Two upperclassmen will share one bathroom. Incoming freshmen will have the option to live in 67 double-occupancy rooms.
Oliver said insufficiency in on-campus housing is one reason the community is being built.
"The university is growing," she said. "There is that push (for more students) and they need more beds on campus."
These buildings will hold more than just beds for students.
In one residence hall, the Honors College Residence Hall Director will be provided with an apartment. His or her office will be in a different building.
A satellite office for the Honors College will be in the last of the three buildings. Each hall will have a central study/social lounge for students. Students also will be able to attend class only a few feet from their dorm rooms.
A standalone building will house two classrooms, which can be converted into one large classroom by the removal of a room divider. The classroom building may include computer workstations.
Oliver said these rooms will be "smart classrooms," equipped with overhead projectors and up-to-date technology.
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