USGA and UAB Faculty representatives cut ribbon on new freshman residence hall. (Photo by Casey Marley).Anna Sims - Copy Editorcopyed@insideuab.com
During the 2014-2015 school year, UAB students could not escape a construction site at every turn. Now, with the Fall 2015 semester in full swing, construction is wrapping up at the Hill Student Center, and the new dorm is complete. The grand opening and dedication of the dorm took place on Wednesday, Sept. 2.
The new freshman hall, with its high ceilings, abundant use of natural lighting through towering windows and retro common spaces for students, is undoubtedly a welcome addition to campus. The lobby alone is enough to impress, boasting a unique multi-shaded green chandelier and artwork by locals.
Despite public perception that UAB is primarily a “commuter school,” the residence halls at UAB have been operating at full capacity for the past several years. According to Director of Academic and Student Services Operations Carolyn Farley, during the 2014-2015 school year, there were 21 freshmen tripled-up in Camp Hall and Denman Hall’s two-person dorm rooms, along with 28 upperclassmen that UAB had to house in local hotels until dorm spaces became available.
The New Freshman Residence Hall, as it is currently known, is located beside Denman Hall and directly across 16th Street South from Blazer Hall. This new building houses 714 residence assistants and freshman students.
Aside from heeding the necessity of increased on-campus housing for UAB students, Farley explained that a huge part of UAB’s investment in on-campus housing reflects its investment in student success. “Studies show that students who live on campus have higher levels of success and make higher grades,” said Farley.
“New Freshman Residence Hall” is not the only name by which this building has been identified; on June 8, the official UAB Students Twitter account tweeted, “New freshman residence hall to be named “Founders Hall.” So, what happened to the name “Founders Hall?”
“Founders Hall was never meant to be the official name,” said Farley. “It was meant as a placeholder name that could be removed without offending anyone when a name was chosen.”
The process of choosing the official, lasting name is in progress; the Office of Institutional Development is currently meeting with potential donors and is also looking into the possibility of choosing an honorific name for the edifice.
