The Mississippi Institutions for Higher Learning approved plans for the construction of an $18 million dormitory near the corner of Jackson Avenue and Sorority Row on Feb. 20. The rapid increase in university enrollment drove the decision.
The University of Mississippi plans to begin construction after the spring 2014 academic term and complete the building by fall 2015. The university is still accepting bids for the construction contract.
The university originally intended to open the new dormitory in fall 2016, but university projections indicated that the Oxford campus would not be able to accommodate the 2015 freshman class with the current housing, according to Director of Student Housing Lionel Maten.
“As we continue to have a need to add housing to accommodate the growth of the university, I want folks to be mindful that we’re not just looking at the first-year class, but at this time, we do need to accommodate them,” he said.
The Department of Facilities Planning opted to replicate the design of the Ridge dormitories to minimize time and money spent on the design process. The current plan shows a four-story dormitory that will house 304 students.
The university intends to finance the project using internal funds. The budget for the dormitory includes $13.6 million for construction, $480,000 for furniture, $845,000 for architects’ fees, $728,000 for other costs and $2.4 million in reserve funds.
The university enrolled over 3,500 freshmen for the second time in fall 2013. The first time was in fall 2011. From 2005 to 2008, the average freshman class totaled 2,354 students. The average freshman class size grew 37 percent from 2009 to 2013, as it averaged 3,217 students. Roughly 5,000 of the 18,432 students at the Oxford campus in fall 2013 utilized on-campus housing, according to Chancellor Dan Jones.
Junior pre-pharmacy major Jason Teng reflected on his experience living on campus over three years at the Residential College South.
“The quality that stands out the most about living on campus is that you are sort of forced into a community of unique individuals,” Teng said.
“The food may suck and the bathrooms may be sketchy, but you’ll meet some of your best friends in dorms.”
Area 3 Housing Coordinator Tom Park commented on the speed of the planning process.
“Because of the need for this project and the expedited process, most of the decision making has been done completely at higher levels,” Park said.
Park’s sector of housing includes The Village, Campus Walk, Northgate, the Luckyday Residential College and the Residential College South. The new dormitory will be included in this sector upon completion.
— Drew Jansen
ajjansen@go.olemiss.edu
