Speakers at the dorm groundbreaking ceremony Thursday said they hope the new residence hall will be more than just a spot for students to rest their heads.
“Dorms should be more than a building to eat and sleep,” said Bonnie Burchett, director of Housing and Residence Life. “We’re working hard to make them a place for engagement and learning.”
Burchett, along with Wilsie Bishop, vice president for dministration, ETSU President Paul Stanton and others spoke at the ceremony for the 129,000 square-foot residence hall. The dorm is expected to be ready for students in 2007 and will house 542 people.
“The dorms that stood here before were state-of-the-art a half century ago when they opened,” said Stanton. “We have done much planning and analysis for the new residence hall look [and hope it will be satisfactory] for decades ahead.”
The $20 million dorm will contain six floors, including a lobby with a fireplace and reception desk, two laundry rooms and a classroom/media area. Bedrooms will incorporate private bathrooms and wiring for data access, cable and telephones. Student ID cards will be required to enter bedrooms for extra security.
“The housing will capture fine architecture while meeting standards students have come to expect,” said John Fisher, one of the project designers for the residence hall.
Dr. Steven Bader, chief officer of Student Affairs at ETSU, discussed upcoming proposals for ETSU, including adding 56 new apartments on to Buc Ridge and complete renovations of Davis, Carter and Lucille Clement residence halls.
“We are going to aggressively pursue our goals of making this campus better and are making wonderful progress,” said Bader. “The plan is to be accomplished by 2011.”
ETSU staff weren’t the only ones excited about the future construction. “This is a momentous occasion for everyone involved,” said Jeff Johnston, a senior at ETSU and president of the Residence Hall Association. “It is a great example of how we can achieve and potentially build something that is not only useful but beautiful.”
Tennessee Board of Regents Representative Leslie Parks Pope had other prospective improvements for students on her mind. In her speech, Pope mentioned the TBR was working on awarding more money for the lottery scholarship as well as giving students a chance to earn it back after losing it. The board is also looking into helping adult undergraduates benefit from the scholarship.
In addition, Pope mentioned ETSU is working on installing system-wide software upgrade to allow students access to Goldlink at anytime. The new software should be in place early next year.
“I think ETSU is doing an excellent job of serving the students and this morning is a great example,” said Pope.
For more information on the new residence hall or future projects at ETSU, call the ETSU Department of Housing and Residence Life at 439-4446. Drawings of the new facility can be seen at photolab.etsu.edu/images/NewDorm2005.jpg.

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